Between Death and Reality
by purplehairedwonder
Summary: For weeks Kurama has been having nightmares leaving him mentally tired. But when he begins to wake up with physical wounds, the other Tantei begin to worry he may not wake up at all. [Revised]
1. Dreams

**Author's Note: **I've seen this type of story begun several times now and I've read them, but they never seem to update so I decided just to make my own with my own little twist to it. I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho. No amount of wishful thinking will change that.

* * *

Chapter 1

Dreams

* * *

_He ran as fast as he could, fear racing through his pounding heart. He sped onward as fast as his legs would carry him, but it still did not seems fast enough. Despite the turmoil in his heart, he was not even sure of what he was running from; but he somehow knew whatever it was would kill him if it caught him. This primitive fear kept him running._

_The scenery suddenly changed and he found himself running in a dense forest. The branches whipped across his face as he ran past, leaving bloodied scratches. Blind fear kept him running, leaping over tree trunks and other obstacles in his path. As he jumped over a felled trunk, his landing foot came in contact with the underside of another felled log; he was sent sprawling onto his face. Only, the ground beneath him seemed to melt._

_He felt himself falling through an oppressive blackness. He felt his body make contact with a hard ground, face first once again. Blinking against the sudden intense aching all over his body, he realized he was in a cement ring. The roars of a blood-lusting crowd forced the harsh reality to sink in, as he felt the warm stickiness of blood, his blood, on his skin. The stench of his own blood was overpowering to his senses and he had to force himself not to gag._

_Before he could push himself to his feet, he felt a hand grasp his hair and violently pull him upward. He hissed in pain as his vision blurred. He closed his eyes against the pain-induced dizziness. When he was finally able to open them again, his eyes met a pair of red-tinted violet ones that sent a shiver down his spine. This is what he had been running from. Death._

"_Bang," a soft, but malicious voice whispered into his ear, and his world erupted in a white hot pain, then darkness descended._

Kurama bolted upright in bed, his breath ragged and his entire body drenched in sweat. His thoughts were still spinning as he took in his surroundings. He was in his bedroom, a dim shaft of moonlight streaming through the otherwise dark window. With the aid of the slight moonlight, Kurama was able to make out the rest of his furniture. Yes, he was in his room, not in the right fighting Karasu. That fight had ended months ago with Karasu's blood being drained by a malicious plant that Kurama had summoned with the last remaining bit of his energy. There was no doubt about it. Karasu was dead.

Kurama's breathing finally began to slow as he assured himself that this had only been a dream. Except… this type of dream had been overtaking his subconscious for the last several weeks and he had been finding himself unable to sleep. Even with his demonic stamina, he was beginning to tire, both physically and mentally. Long days with restless nights did not make a pleasant combination.

Raking his hands through his fiery-red locks, Kurama frowned. What was it about his fight with the crow that was leaving him with such vivid and fear-inducing nightmares? One did not live as long as Kurama had without seeing his fair share of evil monsters. Kurama had lived for over a thousand years without ever letting one get the best of him. Yet, memories of that fight still sent shivers down his spine and reminded him of the extensive wounds he had received that had taken so long to fully heal. Kurama had awoken from every dream very conscious of the places where those wounds had once been.

Frowning at his own foolishness, Kurama lay back down in bed in hopes of getting a few more hours of sleep before school. Lately, the normally diligent red-head had been caught drooping in class; a rarity for the pride of Meiou High. Unable to pay attention in class, Kurama's seemingly perfect grades had begun to slip, giving Yuu Kaito, Suuichi Minamino's academic rival, chances at achieving top marks, which he had taken full advantage of.

Absently stroking his upper left arm, Kurama stared up at the ceiling above him. Realizing he was stroking the spot that had been ripped open by Karasu's attacks, he immediately pulled his hand away. It was not like Kurama to dwell on past fights for very long; considering he had had so many in his long life, he would never have time for the present if he were to do so. Groaning to himself, Kurama rubbed his face with his hands. He would never get past this if all he did was dwell on it.

The red-head closed his eyes, only to jerk them open once more. Those red-tinted violet eyes, so filled with bloodlust were beginning to overtake his subconscious. Sighing once more, Kurama turned his eyes toward the window and to the waning moon hanging among the stars in the night sky. It was going to be another long night, as the night before had been, and the night before that…

* * *

"Top score, Kaito."

"That's three tests in a row."

"Yeah, Minamino's losing his touch."

Kurama rolled his emerald eyes while stifling a yawn as he walked past a group of students who stood studying the posted exam scores. Had they even the slightest idea of why his grades had been slipping as of they, they probably would have run home screaming to their mothers. Then again, if they had the slightest idea of why "Suuichi Minamino" was so wise beyond his years, they would probably run home screaming to their mothers anyway. Such was the duality of Kurama's existence.

Continuing his walk down the hallway, Kurama idly watched the other students preparing to go home for the night. As he walked past a classroom, he heard his human name being called out. Turning, he saw his math teacher looking out at him from behind her desk. She was a young woman of about thirty, her brown hair neatly pulled back and her round glasses trimly framing her face. Kurama changed his path and made his way into the classroom.

"Yes, Ms. Kamiya?" he asked politely as he entered the threshold.

"Please, have a seat, Suuichi," she said, gesturing to a desk in front of hers. Curious to know what this was about, Kurama did as he was bidden. After he had settled himself, he looked up.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Actually, Suuichi, I was going to ask you the same thing," his teacher replied. Kurama frowned.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean."

"Your grades have been slipping lately. You seem to be dozing in class, which is something I've never seen you do, and you seem quieter than usual." Kurama mentally grimaced. Not exactly the topic he had wanted to address. "Are you alright?" Ms. Kamiya asked after a moment.

"I'm fine, really," Kurama replied calmly. "I just haven't been sleeping especially well as of late."

"Would this have anything to do with that extended absence a few months ago?" Again, Kurama mentally grimaced. No matter what Hiei thought, some humans were too perceptive for their own good.

"I'm afraid I don't know," the fox replied evenly. "I've just been very busy lately with things in and out of school, so the hours of sleep I have been getting have been decreasing. I apologize if it is disturbing class."

"It's not," she assured him, "but I just worry when our star student begins to slip." She paused, studying the red-head in front of her over her glasses. "You're sure you're alright, Suuichi?"

"I'm fine," Kurama replied, careful to keep his tone respectful.

"Well then, good night, Suuichi." Kurama stood up.

"Good night, Ms. Kamiya."

As Kurama exited the school, he recognized a familiar energy signature, and looked up to see the source: Hiei was sitting in a tree near the entrance of the school.

_About time you showed up._ Kurama quirked an eyebrow as he made his way to the tree.

_Is there a reason I should be hurrying?_

_Meet at Genkai's temple. Koenma has news of some sort._ With that, Hiei disappeared in a black blur. Sighing, Kurama left the school, taking the opposite direction of his house. Just what he needed right now: Spirit World business.

* * *

Upon entering the temple, Kurama found he was the last to arrive. Genkai, Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei, and Botan were all seated. They looked up when Kurama entered the room.

"'Bout time you showed up, fox boy," Yusuke said with a smirk.

"For once, Urameshi isn't the last once here," Kuwabara added with a smirk of his own. Yusuke elbowed him in the ribs, earning himself a death threat from the orange-haired boy, which he naturally ignored. Kurama watched on in silent amusement as he took a seat near Hiei's window perch.

"Alright boys, that's enough," Botan admonished. The two boys in question glared at each other once more before turning back to the ferry girl. "As you know, Koenma…" she began.

"Has a new case," Yusuke finished. Botan frowned at the interruption before continuing.

"Yes… and no," she answered after a moment.

"What the hell does that mean?" Yusuke demanded.

"Perhaps I should just let Koenma explain it," Botan said as she lifted up the briefcase she had brought along. Opening the top, a screen popped to life and almost immediately Koenma appeared, sitting behind his desk.

"All this time you had a briefcase and you gave me a compact?" Yusuke snorted irritably. Genkai, however, was having none of Yusuke's attitude, so smacked him on the back of the head. "Hey!" Yusuke exclaimed in response.

"Why don't you shut up already, dimwit?" Yusuke rubbed the back of his head with a pouting expression, but said nothing. It was only then that Koenma was able to speak.

"Thank you, Genkai. Now we can finally get this started," he said. Genkai nodded and Yusuke glared. "The reason I asked all of you to gather here today us…"

"You have another case," Yusuke interjected, unable to restrain himself.

"Dimwit," Genkai growled warningly. Yusuke flinched in anticipation of another smack to the head, but none was forthcoming. Koenma deliberately cleared his throat, bringing everyone's attention back to him.

"Well, yes and no, Yusuke," he said.

"That's what Botan said," Yusuke replied with a frown. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Let's just call this a warning," Koenma said. "It is not an official case… yet. However, it could very well turn into one."

"And 'it' is…?" Yusuke prodded.

"Recently we've been noticing some unusual energy fluctuations in your area," the Prince of Spirit World proceeded to explain.

"What type of readings?" Genkai asked.

"They seem demonic at first glance, but we've been unable to get concrete readings on it."

"So what are we supposed to do about it?" Kuwabara asked.

"Just be on the lookout for things out of the ordinary," Koenma replied.

"And you brought us all this way for that?" Hiei growled. "What a waste of time." He began to rise from his perch.

"What if I told you this mystery being is tied to the Dark Tournament?" Koenma asked suddenly. Hiei froze.

"What?" Yusuke demanded, thunderstruck. "I thought you didn't know what it was. How can you know it's tied to the Tournament?"

"Because, the earliest readings we detected of this being came from the area around Hanging Neck Island. They have since moved on."

"But how?" Kuwabara muttered.

"Yeah. Sakyo blew up the island."

"Not the island, just the stadium," Koenma clarified.

"So this creature is a fighter from the Tournament?" Yusuke asked, trying to piece together information.

"Not necessarily. Those who survived are smart enough to keep under Spirit World's radar."

"So, a spectator?" mused Genkai.

"It's impossible to say at this point." Koenma frowned. "So, just be on the lookout for anything demonic."

"Besides those two, right?" grinned Yusuke as he pointed at Kurama and Hiei. Genkai rolled her eyes before smacking Yusuke on the back of the head once more.

"Dimwit," she growled.

"Sheesh, Grandma. Attitude much?" grimaced Yusuke.

"Don't push it." Yusuke immediately backed off his verbal attack. Turning back to the screen, Genkai addressed Koenma. "Is that all?"

"For now, yes." Genkai nodded and Botan closed the briefcase.

"There you have it," the ferry girl said. "Now, I have to return to Spirit World, so if you'll excuse me…" An oar appeared in her hand and she boarded it with the grace of an expert. She floated out the open door and disappeared into the darkening sky. Kuwabara stood up. Yusuke followed suit, but stopped when he noticed Kurama still sitting. The Spirit Detective made his way over to his friend.

"Hey man, are you okay?" he asked. Kurama blinked, as if returning to reality, then looked up at Yusuke.

"Oh, I'm fine," the red-head answered as he rose to his feet. Yusuke frowned at the demon's sluggish movements. Kurama's movements were usually graceful like those of a dancer, and though someone who did not know him well would not have noticed it, Yusuke could see the dragging in his friend's motions.

"Are you sure? You didn't say anything when Koenma was talking, and you're usually the one who asks all the questions."

Kurama blinked in surprise at Yusuke's perceptiveness, but quickly shook it off. He waved off Yusuke's concern. "I'm alright, just a little tired. But I was listening."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure, Yusuke," Kurama replied, trying to hide his slight irritation. Yusuke, however, frowned.

"Something just seems off…"

"I'm fine!" Kurama snapped, his emerald eyes flashing gold for a moment. Yusuke's chocolate brown eyes widened in surprise, and even Hiei seemed startled by the outburst. Blinking suddenly, the green returned to Kurama's eyes. "I'm sorry, Yusuke. I didn't mean to snap at you like that," he said tiredly, shaking his head slightly.

"Don't worry about it." Yusuke's concerned frown deepened. "Just get some rest, alright?"

"I will." Kurama gave his friend a small smile before heading out the temple door. He said a quick, but polite farewell to Genkai, and then disappeared down the temple steps. Yusuke turned to Hiei. Their eyes met and after a moment, Hiei nodded.

* * *

Kurama sat at the dinner table, picking idly at the food on his plate with his chopsticks. Shiori watched her son with worry.

"Suuichi, are you alright?" she asked finally. Kurama looked up at his mother and his heart turned at the concern in her eyes. He forced a small smile. He seemed to be getting that question a lot lately.

"I'm fine, mother."

"You don't seem yourself lately. You've barely been eating, your grades are beginning to slip, and even your plants are starting to wilt." Mentally, Kurama grimaced. _Am I really becoming that easy to read?_

"I haven't been sleeping well lately, that's all. I'm fine. Really."

"You haven't been having more nightmares, have you?" Once again, Kurama mentally grimaced. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately as well.

"I've just had a lot on my mind. That's all, I promise," the red-head replied. He really hated lying to his mother, but it was the only thing he could do. Shiori stared at her son for a moment before relenting.

"If you're sure…?" she asked, leaving the question open-ended, in the hopes of getting her son to confide in her. However, Kurama was having none of it. He smiled at her, despite the ache in his heart.

"I'm sure, mother. You worry too much." Shiori gave him a sad smile.

"I suppose I do, don't I?" _But why do I get the feeling you're hiding something important from me, Suuichi?_

_

* * *

_

Kurama sat at his desk, his school books open in front of him. His mind, however, was elsewhere. He just couldn't bring himself to focus on the work in front of him. A part of him told him to do it, if for nothing more than to keep his mother from worrying more than she already was. But the fox could not keep his eyes focused on the work for long before his thoughts would drift again.

_Perhaps the Detective is right. You do need rest,_ a familiar voice intruded on his thoughts. Despite himself, Kurama was unable to suppress the gasp that escaped his throat as his eyes focused as they refocused. He realized he was standing, having risen in his surprise. Turning to the window, Kurama saw Hiei sitting easily on the window sill. The fire demon was frowning. _Caught you off-guard._

"Hiei," Kurama greeted as he regained his composure.

"What's wrong?" the fire demon demanded bluntly. Kurama quirked an eyebrow at his friend, a sign that his composure had returned and the walls were sliding back into place. Hiei's frown deepened. "Your mind is like an open book right now. Your mental defenses have collapsed. I've never been able to read you like I can now." It was Kurama's turn to frown. Was Hiei openly showing concern for him?

"Hiei, I…" Kurama began, but Hiei cut him off.

"I know what you told Yusuke," he growled. "But I'm not buying it." _I know you too well to know when you're lying._ Before Kurama could reply, Hiei had disappeared into the night once more. Groaning to himself, Kurama sank onto his bed, holding his head in his hands, his elbows propped up on his knees. He rubbed his face with his hands, trying to sort through his emotions, but could make neither heads nor tails of what he was feeling. The red-head leaned his head back against the wall and stared up at the ceiling. That familiar ceiling. The one he had been staring at during the night for the past several weeks when he could not sleep.

It just did not make any sense to him. Immediately following the Tournament, he had been afflicted with nightmares of his fights, most especially against Karasu, but that was to be expected; and they had passed as the initial shock had faded. The Tournament had ended months ago, yet the dreams had started up once more. And they were somehow different than before, but Kurama could not place why. Perhaps it was the fact that he was becoming more and more mentally exhausted from the violent intrusions on his subconscious. Kurama had always prided himself on keeping a calm exterior and a fortified interior, his mind being his greatest weapon; but as of late, his mental fortifications had been crumbling. Much like they had during his fight with Karasu…

Shaking his head, Kurama tried to brush such thoughts aside. Karasu was dead and he was just being foolish. Yusuke was right, he needed rest.

* * *

Quiet as she could, Shiori opened the door to her son's darkened room. Something was bothering him and it worried her. Suuichi's eyes had always had something of a haunted, far-away quality to them, but lately it had seemed more pronounced. The playful twinkle that entered those eyes and seemed to liven his entire being had been missing for several weeks now.

As the door inched open, a pale shaft of light from the hallway penetrated the room and dimly illuminated Suuichi's bed and sleeping form within. His back was to her, his red hair draped down on the bed behind him. He seemed fine. She was about to leave when a small groan reached her ears. She froze. She heard it again, followed by a sharp intake of breath. Concerned, she made her way to her son's side. Sitting down on the edge of his bed, Shiori slightly pulled Suuichi's shoulder over so she could see his face. She was no expecting what she saw.

His handsome face glistened with sweat. His eyes were closed as tight as they could and his breathing was ragged. Suddenly, he jerked out of her grasp with a moan. _He's having a nightmare,_ Shiori realized. His expression looked all too much like it had several months prior when he had returned from that week-long absence. He had been riddled by nightmares for weeks after that, but they had passed and her son had gone back to normal. Shiori idly wondered if the two occurrences were related.

She hated seeing her son like this, but she knew what would happen if she woke him. He would claim to be fine and retreat into himself, giving half-answers and evading her concerned questions. Shiori bit her lip. Should she wake him? Finally, she decided against it. _But I'll stay by his side tonight._

_

* * *

_

Hiei watched on as Kurama's human mother took her place in a chair by the fox's bed. _I see we're not the only one's who noticed,_ the fire demon thought dryly to himself. Settling himself on his favorite branch outside the fox's window, Hiei frowned in on the sight of his friend and partner. Kurama's sweat-covered face and tense muscles were all the signs Hiei needed to assess the situation. _Nightmare._

However, this caused Hiei to pause. What type of dream could Kurama to have that could shake his psyche like it had? Kurama was the ever-calm, level-headed backbone of the team. It was unnerving to see him in such obvious discomfort when he was most vulnerable. The last, and only, time Hiei had seen Kurama out of control of the situation was during his fight with Karasu. But reflecting the strong soul that he was, the fox had overcome his fear and defeated the crow. For weeks after the Tournament, Kurama had had nightmares – though it would not be fair to say he was the only one who had – but they had passed, and they had not affected him like these dreams seemed to be doing.

Out of genuine concern – and curiosity – Hiei closed his eyes and the Jagan began to glow underneath his white headband. He took special care to take an angle where Shiori could not see him from the window.

_Opening his eyes, Hiei found himself in an endless desert. The fire demon realized he had entered Kurama's dream and frowned at how easy it had been to breach Kurama's mind. Normally, the fox's mental barriers were so strong that Hiei had long since abandoned the idea of reading his mind. Kurama took pride in the strength of his mental defenses. But now, he had reached Kurama's dream with any hint of resistance. Something was wrong._

_In the distance, Hiei saw a form running toward him. As the figure approached, it became clear that it was a very spooked Kurama. As the fox ran toward him, Hiei could sense a sinister and malicious presence following him. Kurama ran past Hiei without a glance, as Hiei was only a spectator in this dream. The dark aura followed along steadily. Hiei felt a slight shiver run down his spine as it approached. This aura was of pure darkness, made of all the darkest emotions in the heart, whether human or demon. Small wonder Kurama was spooked._

_The scenery switched suddenly and Hiei looked on in the Dark Tournament ring as Karasu grabbed Kurama by the hair and violently pulled him up, his toes dangling above the ground. An exclamation of pain escaped Kurama's throat. Though he was loath to admit it to another, the sound of his best friend's agony ripped through his heart. It was like the Tournament all over, when he had stood by helplessly as Kurama had been systematically ripped apart by Karasu's bombs. Before Hiei could make a move to relinquish his role as a spectator and try to wake his friend, who seemed to be losing consciousness under Karasu's vice-like grip, the crow looked directly at him. Hiei froze. No one was supposed to be able to see him, especially a figment of Kurama's imagination. Crimson eyes widened; unless this was not a figment of Kurama's imagination…_

_Karasu smirked and dropped the now limp form of Kurama to the ground. He turned and faced Hiei. A malicious glint shone from those eyes. Karasu raised a hand and snapped two long, pale fingers. The setting changed once more. Hiei, despite himself, gasped._

_The fire demon stood in the ring opposite Karasu; Kurama stood chained to the wall, unable to move or make an attempt to stop what was happening. Emerald green eyes widened at Hiei's appearance._

"_Hiei!" Kurama cried out, trying desperately to break the bondage that held him. This out of character behavior from the fox seemed to bother Hiei more than anything else that was happening._

"_It's no use," Karasu crooned. "Now watch your best friend die. Then it will be just me and you, my kitsune." Kurama paled and struggled against the chains even more fiercely, but to no avail. All he succeeded in doing was drawing blood from his wrists where the chains held him. Karasu grinned maliciously and turned back to Hiei, who was still surprised at being pulled into the dream. Only his conscious decision to fully enter the dream should have allowed this, but somehow he had been pulled in against his will._

"_As for you, Hiei, let this serve as a lesson."_

"_What kind of lesson?" Hiei spat._

"_A lesson in the consequences of charging in where you don't belong," Karasu replied. "His mind is mine now," he said in a low, but satisfied voice._

"_What?" Instead of answering, Karasu formed a bomb in his hand and threw it at Hiei. The fire demon dodged, but failed to notice the second bomb that detonated against his skin. He hissed in pain._

"_Hiei!" Kurama cried out helplessly from the side._

"_It seems our fox cares for you, Hiei. No matter. I take you out of the picture and then there is only me," Karasu mused._

"_You sick bastard," Hiei growled._

"_Farewell, fire demon," Karasu growled. Hiei's world exploded in blinding pain. The last thing he heard before his vision went dark was Kurama calling out his name and the sound of chains rattling._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note: **I realize that Kurama is a bit out of character in parts, but attribute it to the fact that these dreams are really starting to shake him and mess with his mind; something he's not really used to in all his years. So, leave me a review, tell me what you think. /gets down on knees/ I'll beg if I have to. Just press the little button and take a minute to let me know what you thought!

_Revised as of 11/24/05_


	2. Bloodied Scratches

**Review Responses:** w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / c h i p p e r l u v a 1 0

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own YYH.

* * *

Chapter 2

Bloody Scratches

* * *

Hiei's eyes snapped open and he gasped in surprise. His vision blurred in front of him. Placing his hands on the branch on either side of him to avoid falling from the tree, he blinked against the fog clouding his vision and turned to Kurama's window. He had heard his name cried out, but whether it was in the dream or after he had woken up he could not tell. Looking in the window, he saw Kurama had finally awakened as well. The red-head was panting, sitting up in bed with a spooked expression on his face. His mother must have heard his exclamation, as she rushed to his side.

Hiei frowned. There was something wrong with that experience and he intended to get to the bottom of it before it did some real damage to Kurama. But first, though he was loath to admit it, he needed to speak with Koenma.

* * *

"Suuichi!" Shiori exclaimed when she heard her son cry something out in his sleep. What did he say…? Hiei? The red-head had jerked upright in bed, eyes wide with emotion, his breathing shallow and quick. Motherly instinct immediately kicked in as she rushed to her son's side. She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and he flinched before turning to face her, the source of the contact.

"M… Mother?" he asked in a timid voice through his ragged breathing. His tone surprised her. Timid was not the type of person her son was. He was a strong individual, that much Shiori could feel without any maternal connection. Hearing his voice sound so unsure was enough to unnerve her.

"Yes, Suuichi, it's me. I'm right here," she said reassuringly. He paused for a minute, as if assessing the situation, before nodding. There was a little bit of her son, at least. Shiori pulled the boy into her arms; he tensed at first, but then, realizing her intentions, melted into the embrace. His face was wet with sweat and his skin was fire to the touch. But she could feel him relaxing in her embrace, so made no move to break it. Only when _he_ was ready would she break the embrace. Finally, after his heart rate and breathing had slowed, he pulled himself from her arms. Blinking a few times, he looked at her. Panic seemed to be returning to cool logic; a sign that he was returning to his normal self.

"Are you alright, Suuichi?" Shiori asked finally. He nodded.

"I didn't wake you, did I?" he asked, sounding concerned. Yes, he was definitely back to normal to be worrying over her instead of himself at a time like this.

"No, no. I was coming back from the bathroom," she replied smoothly, waving off her son's misplaced concern.

"Okay," he said, sounding unsure of what to say next.

"How long have you been having these nightmares?" Shiori asked suddenly. She figured that while his barriers were down would be the best chance to get any sort of answer out of him. Emerald eyes blinked in surprise at the blunt question.

"I…" he began unsteadily. He glanced around his room as if his furniture would hold the answers he was looking for.

"You told me tonight at dinner that you weren't having nightmares," Shiori said softly. He grimaced.

"Mother, I…"

"No, it's alright. I'm just worried about you." She stood up. "But you know you can tell me anything, Suuichi. I love you."

"I… I love you too, Mother." When it became apparent he was going to say no more on the subject, Shiori nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

Hiei sat on the roof of Yusuke's apartment, holding a small mirror in his hands. It had been rather easy to sneak into the Urameshi apartment and take the communication device from Yusuke's room. The Detective had slept on, blissfully unaware of the demon searching through his room. _Fool sleeps like the dead. I could have easily killed him… if I had no honor._

Flipping open the mirror, the screen showed static for a moment before Botan's face appeared on it. She looked surprised at seeing Hiei's face on the other end.

"Hiei?"

"Hn," he greeted in his traditional manner.

"Is something wrong? Where's Yusuke?"

"Sleeping like a baby in his bed."

"Then why…?"

"I need to speak with Koenma," he broke in.

"With Koenma?" Her voice was incredulous.

"Yes. I assure you, I would not have called unless it was of the utmost importance," Hiei drawled.

"Good point. Hold on, I'll put you through." A moment later, Botan's face disappeared and was replaced with Koenma's.

"Hiei? What is it that's so important?"

"Is Karasu dead?" Hiei demanded bluntly. Koenma blinked several times before registering the question. He frowned.

"Of course Karasu is dead. You were there when it happened. We both were."

"Are you absolutely sure he's dead?" Hiei pressed.

"Of course I'm sure. I sentenced him myself."

"Check," Hiei demanded.

"Hiei, I…"

"Check," the fire demon said once more. Koenma sighed.

"Fine, if it will make you happy…"

"Ecstatic," Hiei droned. "Now check." Koenma grumbled under his breath for a few moments as he searched through a stack of papers. Finally, he came across the one he was looking for. He looked back up at Hiei.

"Would you like a visual as proof?" Hiei blinked.

"You can do that?"

"In this case yes."

"Then do it." Koenma pressed a button on his desk and the communicator screen switched to a black and white image of what looked to be a jail cell. It seemed to be a security camera capture. A lone figure sat inside the cell: Karasu. Or more precisely, his soul. The screen switched back to Koenma.

"Karasu was sentenced to the Reikai Prison for Criminal Souls when he died. You just saw his soul in his cell. So yes, I'm sure he's dead."

"I see."

"Now I have a question," Koenma said. Hiei frowned. "Why was this of 'the utmost importance'? Why did you need to check on a death you were present for?"

Doing his best to keep his tone toward the one who held his fate in his hands civil, Hiei explained his experience in Kurama's dream. Koenma frowned as the explanation finished.

"And you're sure it wasn't Kurama's subconscious that pulled you into the dream?" the Prince of Spirit World asked.

"Positive. I was only a spectator, on the outer edges of his mind. There was an external influence," Hiei replied briskly.

"And it took the form of Karasu." Hiei nodded. "I don't know what to tell you, but I'll look into it. For now I suggest you consult Genkai."

"I'll do what I must," Hiei said gruffly and closed the mirror. He continued to watch the stars in the sky. _Something strange is going on here and I don't like it._

_

* * *

_

Kurama listened as his alarm went off. He groaned to himself. Another long day that followed another long night.

* * *

"So, what's this about, Grandma?" Yusuke demanded. The Spirit Detective, Kuwabara, and Hiei had gathered in Genkai's temple that afternoon.

"Ask Hiei," the psychic replied. Yusuke and Kuwabara immediately turned to the fire demon.

"Well?" Yusuke asked. Hiei suddenly shoved something in his face and Yusuke backed away in surprise. "What the hell?" Looking down at the object in Hiei's hand, he realized it was his Communication Mirror.

"This is yours," Hiei said.

"Where did you get this?" Yusuke demanded, thunderstruck.

"From your room," Hiei replied.

"What?"

"You sleep like the dead," Hiei snorted. Yusuke glared as he took the mirror, but Hiei merely ignored it.

"Why isn't Kurama here?" Kuwabara asked.

"Because this is about him," Genkai replied.

"What?" Yusuke frowned before his eyes widened in realization. "Is this about why he's been acting so weird lately?"

"Yes," Hiei replied.

"Well?"

Hiei related his experience in Kurama's dream and his conversation with Koenma to Yusuke and Kuwabara, as he had already done so to Genkai. It had been her idea to call the two dimwits to the temple as well.

"So, something is messing with Kurama's head," Yusuke said. Hiei nodded.

"What are we supposed to do about it?" Kuwabara asked.

"I'm not so sure there is anything we can do at this point," Genkai replied.

"So we're just going to let Kurama suffer?" Yusuke demanded. He was very protective of his friends, so it hurt him more than anything when he could not do anything to help them.

"Do you have any other ideas?" Hiei growled. Yusuke grimaced. He realized this must be frustrating to Hiei as well. Kurama was his closest friend and ally, and he had the mental powers but could do nothing either.

"Hiei, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…" Hiei cut off Yusuke's apology with a wave of his hand.

"It's not important right now." The fire demon frowned.

"There has to be something," Kuwabara muttered.

"Dreams belong solely to the realm of the person that is having them," Genkai said. "It is up to the person who is having them to overcome the effects."

"Even if their mind is being messed with," Yusuke grumbled.

"Yes, dimwit. There is nothing we can do except give him support right now."

"And make sure other demons don't know he's vulnerable," Hiei cut in.

"This could be complicated," Kuwabara said, blinking.

"Hey, this is Kurama we're talking about," Yusuke cut in. "He can handle himself."

_I hope so_, Hiei thought as he looked out the window.

* * *

Kurama slowly made his way home from school. His strides were slow as his thoughts were elsewhere. The fox could not get his thoughts off of Hiei's appearance in his dream the night before. Had Hiei actually been present or was he just dreaming of his friends now? The logical conclusion was that he was merely dreaming of his friends. However, Kurama could not completely accept that. There was something about the expression on the fire demon's face when he had appeared. It was as if he had been pulled in against his will. But how was that possible? While it was possible for him to have been watching Kurama's dream because of the Jagan, Hiei was a master of the Evil Eye and should not have lost control and entered the dream like that. Things were not adding up and Kurama hated not knowing.

As he walked down the street toward his home, he could not help but feel he was being watched. There was no unusual energy he could sense, but the hairs on the back of his neck were beginning to rise. He had been having that feeling more and more often lately. It was not Hiei following him, that much he was sure of. Hiei would not give off an aura like the one he was feeling. But there was nothing around. It was a strange feeling. And somehow it was familiar. But from where, Kurama could not place.

* * *

Slipping into bed several hours later, Kurama felt that familiar feeling of being watched yet again. It was becoming more and more pronounced as of late. But he could not pinpoint the source. Shaking off the feeling as a result of his tiredness, the red-head turned the light off and rested his head against his pillow. His thoughts were spinning. Would his dreams be haunted again? He was getting to the point where he was debating whether to even go to bed at night, but the fact was he was exhausted. Before his thoughts could go any further, they began to slip from his grasp as consciousness left him. As the warmth of sleep began to embrace him, he felt a dark presence surrounding him. But the realization came too late as sleep came.

_He ran as fast as he could, fear racing through his pounding heart. He sped onward as fast as his legs would carry him, but it still did not seems fast enough. Despite the turmoil in his heart, he was not even sure of what he was running from; but he somehow knew whatever it was would kill him if it caught him. This primitive fear kept him running._

_The scenery suddenly changed and he found himself running in a dense forest. The branches whipped across his face as he ran past, leaving bloodied scratches. Blind fear kept him running, leaping over tree trunks and other obstacles in his path. As he jumped over a felled trunk, his landing foot came in contact with the underside of another felled log; he was sent sprawling onto his face. Only, the ground beneath him seemed to melt._

_He felt himself falling through an oppressive blackness. He felt his body make contact with a hard ground, face first once again. Blinking against the sudden intense aching all over his body, he realized he was in a cement ring. The roars of a blood-lusting crowd forced the harsh reality to sink in, as he felt the warm stickiness of blood, his blood, on his skin. The stench of his own blood was overpowering to his senses and he had to force himself not to gag._

_Before he could push himself to his feet, he felt a hand grasp his hair and violently pull him upward. He hissed in pain as his vision blurred. He closed his eyes against the pain-induced dizziness. When he was finally able to open them again, his eyes met a pair of red-tinted violet ones that sent a shiver down his spine. This is what he had been running from. Death._

"_Bang," a soft, but malicious voice whispered into his ear, and his world erupted in a white hot pain, then darkness descended._

Kurama bolted upright in bed, his breathing shallow and quick. He realized he smelt blood; his blood. He threw up a hand to his face and felt a warm stickiness. Probing the area, he realized there was a bloody scratch on his cheek. He gasped. _The same spot as in my dream. From the trees. But how is that possible?_ He shook his head. _No, I must have scratched it while I was sleeping. I was probably thrashing around and scratched it like that. _Once more, he felt a hint of that dark aura he had felt before he fell asleep. Grappling with the lamp at his bedside, he finally turned the switch on. Emerald eyes searched the bedroom and found nothing out of the ordinary. Kurama hated what he could not explain through logic and this definitely qualified.

Kurama put a hand back to the bloody scratch on his cheek and sighed. He stood up and quietly went to the bathroom to wash it off.

* * *

Hiei frowned from his perch on his branch outside the fox's window. _No, that didn't come from you thrashing around, fox. But where did it come from?_

_

* * *

_

Later that night, Hiei returned to the top of Yusuke's apartment building with the Detective's Communication Mirror in hand. The fool really needed to be more aware of his surroundings. Opening it, Botan's face once more appeared on the screen after a moment of static.

"Hiei? Oh dear, is this about Kurama again?" she asked worriedly.

"Hn."

"Alright, I'll put Koenma through." A moment later, Koenma's concerned face appeared in place of Botan's.

"Hiei?"

"He had another dream tonight," Hiei said.

"I see." He paused. "Unfortunately, we don't have anything new on dream stalkers," Koenma replied.

"Tonight he woke up with a scratch on his face."

"What?"

"In his dream he ran through a forest and had branches whipping against his face. Tonight, he woke up with a scratch on his face," Hiei replied tersely.

"Is that even possible?"

"You tell me."

"We'll get on that."

"Hn." Hiei closed the mirror. The stars did not seem quite as bright tonight. There was something ominous on the air.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks for all the wonderful reviews from last chapter. They were very motivating, so please, keep them coming. They do wonders for my writing ethic.

_Revised as of 11/25/05_


	3. The Bite of Betrayal

**Review Responses:** w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m/ u s e r s /c h i p p e r l u v a 1 0

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Same story as last time… and the time before…

* * *

Chapter 3

The Bite of Betrayal

* * *

"And you have no idea what is causing these dreams?" Genkai asked, though she already knew the answer. Kurama shook his head. Confusion and exhaustion clouded his normally vibrant emerald eyes; expressions Genkai was not used to seeing on the normally controlled red-head's face.

"It's been the same dream for weeks… except…" Kurama began, but trailed off.

"Except…?" Genkai encouraged.

"A few nights ago," he replied, "Hiei was in it. But the next night, the dream went back to how it had been before." Unconsciously, he touched a hand to the scratch on his cheek. Genkai knew he was in trouble when he was radiating his emotions so obviously. That was not the fox's style.

"Only…" Genkai filled in the unspoken continuation of Kurama's sentence.

"Only, I woke up with this," he said, then jerked slightly in surprise as if he just realized he was touching the scratch. He looked at his hand for a moment, before balling it into a fist and shoving it into his lap. He sighed and turned back to the psychic.

"I'm sorry, Genkai. I'm such a mess." She waved off his apology with her hand.

"Don't apologize. You're under a lot of stress right now. It's understandable." Kurama smiled weakly at her acceptance.

"Is there anything I can do to stop these dreams?" he asked finally. Genkai frowned.

"Haven't you tried any plants?"

"Of course. Plants of both of the Human and Demon Realms that are supposed to make powerful sleeping potions… dreamless sleeping potions. But they haven't been working."

"So whatever is causing these dreams must be external," Genkai mused.

"I believe so. How else could it disrupt my plants so easily?"

"To tell you the truth, I've never heard of such a thing. In all my years, never." Kurama frowned disappointedly. Though he was many centuries older than Genkai, he had hoped against hope that her greater knowledge of the workings of the Human World might help him.

"So you don't…"

"I'm afraid not. If any of your plant mixtures can be easily overcome, none of my suggestions would work either, I'm sure."

"I see." Kurama slowly rose from his seat.

"But I'll look into it. See if I can find anything useful." The red-head gave the psychic a grateful smile.

"Thank you, Genkai," he said politely with a slight bow, then left the temple. Genkai followed him to the door and watched him head down the steps. His movements were not as graceful as usual, which gave the psychic slight pause.

"Well?" she said at a sound behind her.

"Well what?" Yu Kaito asked.

"What do you think?" she clarified.

"Interesting," was the one word reply. She turned to look at the boy and raised a questioning eyebrow. "It seems even the great Suuichi Minamino, Kurama, whatever, has a weakness." He smiled slightly. "That was unexpected."

"Well, don't get used to it," Genkai snorted. "Kurama is a very old and experienced demon. He can handle himself when it comes down to it." Kaito frowned at the now vacant top of the steps out the door.

"From where I was standing, he looked like a 16 year old boy," he said softly. "One whose foundations have been shaken." He turned to Genkai. "He may be a very old demon, but I think you're forgetting the variable."

"What's that?"

"His human side." Genkai gave the boy a small approving smile.

"Perhaps you're smarter than I'm giving you credit for, Kaito."

* * *

Kurama descended the steps of the temple slowly. He was lost in thought; an occurrence that was becoming more and more common since the dreams began. When he reached the bottom of the steps, he noticed Hiei sitting in a nearby tree. Or, more precisely, Hiei allowed himself to be noticed.

"It seems I have a shadow," Kurama commented lightly. Hiei dropped from the tree in front of the fox demon.

"No luck?" he asked. Kurama shook his head, not bothering to ask how Hiei knew what he had been up to at the temple.

"I'm afraid not." Kurama began to walk and Hiei fell in step with him.

"How are you holding up?" Hiei asked after a long period of silence.

"I've been better," the fox replied honestly. "But I'll be okay."

"Hn." Kurama raised an eyebrow at the fire demon.

"You don't believe me." Hiei stopped walking and turned to his friend.

"I think it's more serious than you seem to." Anger flashed in Kurama's eyes as the emerald tinted gold.

"And how serious do you think I think this is?" he replied angrily. Hiei blinked at Kurama's outburst then frowned.

"Not very. You seem to be shaking it off as no big deal. A human flaw, no doubt."

"Well, perhaps you don't know as much as you think you do, Hiei."

"Perhaps. Then again, perhaps not," Hiei replied evenly.

"What does that mean?" Kurama demanded.

"Look at yourself. You're spilling an emotion like an enemy's blood. That isn't like you," the black-haired demon said. Kurama blinked and took in a sharp breath. His eyes returned to their normal emerald. He sat down on a nearby bench and put his face in his hands; a gesture he would not do in front of just anyone.

"What is happening to me, Hiei?" he asked wearily.

"Something is messing with your head," the fire demon replied, sitting down next to his friend.

"How could I let this happen?" Kurama muttered.

"What makes you think you could have stopped it?" Hiei returned. Kurama lifted his head and studied his friend before sighing.

"There has to have been something I could have done…"

"It's not your fault," Hiei replied a tad harsher than he intended.

"Are we really sure of that?" Hiei have Kurama a questioning glance. "He's been overtaking my dreams, and I… I've been afraid. I haven't done a _damn_ thing to stop it. I've let my fear take control of me," the fox admitted, growling frustratedly by the end. "I just feel somehow this is my fault, whatever it is, and I need to fix it myself."

"But you don't even know what you need to fix," Hiei finished.

"Exactly." Kurama slumped against the back of the bench and looked up at the blue midday sky. He watched as a white puffy cloud lazily made its way across the endless sea of sky. A slight breeze ruffled a red bang into his face and he blew from his eyes with a puff of air. "I hate not knowing," he muttered finally, still looking at the sky.

"We'll figure something out," Hiei replied before disappearing in the traditional Hiei fashion. Kurama sighed. _Easy for him to say._

_

* * *

_

Several days and, more importantly, nights passed. Kurama sat at his desk in his bedroom, school books open in front of him. He blinked when he realized he had read the same passage at least a dozen times now without retaining any of the information. Groaning to himself, the fox leaned back in his chair and dropped his head back. He closed his weary eyes as he rubbed his throbbing temples. Opening his eyes once more, Kurama checked his watch. 2:04 a.m.

Sighing, he stood up and walked to the bathroom where he studied himself in the mirror. The number of scratches on his face had risen to three now, each a little deeper than the last. Suppressing an urge to touch them, Kurama turned the faucet on and splashed cold water on his face. If nothing else could keep him from dreaming, perhaps not sleeping at all would do the trick.

A small part of his mind told him what he was doing was foolish. Even demons needed their rest, and he would have to sleep sooner or later. However, another side argued, how valuable is sleep that is riddled with nightmares?

Drying his face with a towel, Kurama studied himself in the mirror once more. His normally alert and vibrant emerald eyes were becoming dull and tired, a reflection of his entire being. He knew it was becoming apparent to those around him that something was wrong. No doubt Hiei had already talked to Yusuke (and therefore Kuwabara) and Genkai. The fox could not help but get the sense that Genkai had already known about the dreams before he had gone to speak with her. However, if Hiei had told the others, they had made no mention of it; to his face anyway.

Kurama turned the bathroom light off and returned to his bedroom desk. Sitting in front of his book, he set to reading that paragraph for the thirteenth time. _Lucky thirteen_, the fox thought idly. Demons were, for the most part, quite superstitious, and even after all his many years in both Human and Demon World, Kurama could not quite fully shake the instinct. Old habits die hard after all. The red-head felt his eyelids drooping as his eyes lazily passed over word after agonizing word. _Was I really this tired before?_ he thought as the sudden fatigue began to completely overtake him. Before he could stop himself, he felt his held fall forward onto his desk as his vision went black.

_Kurama blinked a few times before registering his surroundings. This was not the same desert as all the other times. No, he stood ringside with his friends. He followed their serious gazes to the ring where the fox saw… himself. Looking down at himself, Kurama realized he was transparent. He was a spectator at his own match against none other than Karasu._

_The match began as Kurama summoned his 'Petals and Thorns' technique. However, as Karasu began to walk into the cloud of petals, the setting changed once more. Kurama now stood opposite Karasu, the crow at the head of an alley. Taking quick stock of his surroundings, Kurama realized he stood with his back to the alley wall._

"_There's nowhere left to run, Kurama," Karasu crooned. Kurama took a deep breath in an effort to force the fear that was steadily climbing in his stomach back down._

"_Geez Kurama. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one," a familiar voice said coldly from the head of the alley. Kurama looked up to see Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei standing behind Karasu as if the crow did not exist. "Even I know not to back myself into a corner," Kuwabara continued, sounding disgusted. Kurama felt as if he had been slapped in the face by the comment._

"_What happened to a cornered fox showing his teeth?" Hiei demanded harshly. A punch to the gut._

"_Yeah, Kurama. I can't always be around to save your ass," Yusuke added irritably. A knife to the heart. Was he really such a burden to the group? To his friends?_

"_You're beginning to doubt yourself," Karasu said, a lustful glint bouncing in his eyes. He began to walk forward, yet Kurama felt frozen to the spot by the words his friends had spoken. He could do nothing but watch as Karasu approached. When the crow reached him, he traced a long, pale finger down the fox's cheek. A shiver ran down Kurama's spine at the touch. His breathing quickened and his brow began to dampen with sweat._

"_It will make you that much easier to break," Karasu continued. Suddenly vanishing from Kurama's view, the crow reappeared behind him. He leaned over. "You have such a strong spirit. But your friends betray you," he whispered into Kurama's ear. Kurama felt a drop of sweat drip down his cheek as he stood frozen, watching the figures of his friends, all looking on disgustedly at the scene in front of them. He wanted nothing more than to call for their help, but he could not. Not only was he frozen by fear of Karasu, the potential reactions of his friends also kept his voice locked away in his throat._

"_You will be mine, my kitsune. And I will slowly break you." Karasu leaned forward and bit him on the neck. Kurama cried out in pain as he felt the blood begin to flow. He felt Karasu lick blood from the wound. "Actually, I've already begun," the crow laughed slowly in Kurama's ear before vanishing. Kurama could hear the scorning comments of his friends as he dropped to his knees and swayed, before falling all the way forward as his vision blurred then faded to black._

Kurama's eyes bolted open and he gasped, breathing quickly as he jerked his head off of his desk. The first ting he felt was pain in his neck. Touching his hand to it, he felt the warm stickiness of his blood. Looking down at the book in front of him on his desk, he saw a small pool of red on the open page. _It was flowing enough to pool,_ the fox thought worriedly. Keeping his hand pressed to the wound, he made his way to the bathroom. Taking his hand away from his neck, he saw in the mirror a bloody wound in the same place Karasu had bit him in his dream. Taking care to wash the wound out completely, Kurama finally reached the source: a deep bite mark.

* * *

Hiei frowned at the memory of his incarnation in Kurama's dream. Did Kurama really see him like that? Did Kurama see himself like that? Hiei shook his head. _No_. Those were not of Kurama's imagining. That came from whatever was attacking his mind, and now his body. There was some connection to Karasu in all of this, that much Hiei was sure of. But the crow was dead, his soul in Spirit World. How could he be attacking Kurama? Something was missing.

Hiei made a move to leave, but stopped when he felt a familiar dark presence. _The one from Kurama's earlier dream_. Hiei reached out with his mind to find the source of the aura, but could not find a sole spot. It seemed to be everywhere at once. It had definitely gotten stronger since Hiei had last felt it. Frowning at his inability to identify the source, Hiei vanished into the night.

* * *

"According to all our reading, that being is becoming stronger," Botan explained to the Tantei. "However, it still does not have a distinct form, so we are unable to pinpoint an exact position for it."

"So what are we supposed to do about it?" Yusuke demanded from his seat on a park bench.

"This is still not an official case, Yusuke," Botan reminded the head Detective. "Right now, you're only supposed to be looking for strange occurrences or creatures. The best reading we can get says this being is somewhere near the city."

"How close is 'near'?" Hiei asked from his tree perch, though today he sat on a low branch just above Kurama, who sat against the trunk, eyes closed. The ferry girl had noticed Hiei give Kurama a quick glance when she had mentioned strange occurrences.

"One hundred kilometers, give or take," she replied.

"One hundred kilometers?" Kuwabara exclaimed, earning him some strange looks from passing park visitors. "You call that near?"

"That's the best we can do right now, I'm afraid," Botan replied. "But we're working on it."

"Whatever. Let me know when to begin caring," Yusuke said with a wide yawn. Botan put her hands on her hips and squared to face the Detective.

"Yusuke, this is serious!" she said sharply. "This thing could be very dangerous. And have you forgotten where it came from?" Yusuke blinked.

"Alright, alright. No need to go postal, Botan. We're taking this seriously. Really!"

"You better be!" Sighing, Botan sat down on the bench next to the Spirit Detective. She snuck a glance at Kurama, who still sat with his eyes closed against the tree that Hiei was occupying. She could tell by his posture and slightly pale skin how exhausted he really was. Despite the fact that it was a warm spring day, the red-head was wearing a turtleneck. The black sweater contrasted sharply with his red hair. It was a nice look on him. Botan paused as she noticed something white sticking out from the neck of his shirt. It was a bandage. She was about to comment when Hiei stopped her.

_Don't ask._

_What? Why?_

_It was another dream._

_Oh._

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I'm up for a round at the arcade," Yusuke said, standing up. "'Goblin City' is calling my name."

"I'm with you there, Urameshi!" Kuwabara said, also rising.

"Kurama? Hiei?" Yusuke offered. Hiei gave Yusuke a glare. "I'll take that as a no then, Hiei. How about you, Kurama?" One emerald orb opened and appraised the Spirit Detective.

"Maybe another time, Yusuke," he said softly. Yusuke shrugged and Kurama closed his eye once more.

"Botan?" Yusuke tried. She shook her head.

"Sorry, Yusuke. I need to get back to Spirit World."

"Your loss." He trotted off with Kuwabara in the direction of the arcade. Looking around for onlookers, Botan summoned her oar. As she boarded, she was stopped once more by Hiei.

_Anything on Kurama's dreams?_ he asked.

_Afraid not. We've been looking long and hard, but haven't found a viable explanation._

_This has to do with Karasu._

_But Hiei, he's dead…_

_Maybe, but it still has something to do with him. I know it._

_I don't know, Hiei…_

_Just tell Koenma what I said. _Botan blinked then seemed to decide that arguing with the fire demon get her nowhere.

_Okay then._ She flew off into the sky and disappeared.

* * *

Hiei watched as the ferry girl flew into the sky and soon disappeared, then turned his glance to the red-head beneath him. He was still leaning against the tree, eyes closed. After a moment, Kurama opened an eye and looked directly up at Hiei.

"What?" he asked.

"What 'what'?" Hiei returned. Kurama opened the other eye.

"What are you looking at me like that for?"

"Like what?" Hiei evaded. Kurama sighed.

"I don't have the energy to play these games right now." He closed his eyes once more. Hiei frowned.

_They're getting worse, aren't they?_ Hiei prodded. No response. Hiei decided to change tactics. _What happened to a cornered fox showing his teeth?_ The reminder of the dream had the desired effect; Kurama's eyes jolted open. He stared up at Hiei with that now familiar haunted look in his eyes.

"What did you say?" he whispered. Hiei felt a pang of guilt for bringing up the painful part of the fox's dream, but he needed to talk to him.

_That was from your dream last night, wasn't it?_ Hiei demanded, though more softly than he might normally have. Kurama slowly nodded. The way he did so suddenly reminded Hiei of a child seeking comfort from his mother. Kurama, however, was no child. He was a thousand-plus-year old demon. Yet… It seemed the fox was becoming more and more human through his years in "captivity." These nightmares were becoming too much for the psyche of a 16-year old boy. It was a fine line, Kurama's existence. But he walked it everyday.

Kurama unconsciously reached for his bandaged neck, but stopped himself halfway. The wound had not completely closed yet; Hiei could still slightly smell Kurama's blood. It was no wonder he had worn a shirt with a high neck today.

"You're not a burden to the group," Hiei said after a moment, and Kurama's eyes widened in surprise. "And you know it. We don't see you like that dream." Kurama's surprise gave way to recognition as his gaze traveled to Hiei's forehead.

"The Jagan… You were watching my dream." It wasn't a question.

"I won't deny it." Kurama nodded and the fire demon waited for some sort of response. According to the stories of Demon World, it was unwise to provoke Youko Kurama's anger. Hiei had never seen the fox in a rage, despite having known him longer than any of the others. He had seen him angry or frustrated, but never beyond the control of his emotions. He had a feeling that the sight would not be pretty. All those that had been foolish enough to enrage the fox thief were no longer capable of relating the tale of his wrath.

"I'm not angry," he said softly. "In fact, it's… it's almost a relief."

"What?"

"Sometimes I'm afraid… I'm afraid I won't wake up at night all. Or that these," he gestured toward his wounded neck and cheek, "will become too severe for me to heal on my own." Hiei blinked in surprise. That was not the reaction he had been expecting.

"We'll figure this out," the fire demon said, attempting to be comforting for his best friend – an area he was not especially experienced in.

"Indeed," Kurama replied softly.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Writing this story always makes me want to listen to Kurama's image song "Nightmare," as it's appropriate for this one. Every now and then I'll see a line in one of the songs that just seems so perfect for the story. Gives me shivers.

Anyway, to all my wonderful readers, please, leave me a review and inspire me to write and such. It feels so good to go into my mailbox and see lots of reviews coming in. So so so so inspiring.

_Revised as of 11/26/05_


	4. Nightmare

**Review Responses:** w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / c h i p p e r l u v a 1 0

**Disclaimer:** Still no ownage over here.

* * *

Chapter 4

Nightmare

* * *

"Karasu?" Koenma asked incredulously after Botan had related the events of the afternoon to him, which had culminated in Hiei's theory. She nodded. "But we've been over this. Karasu is dead. It makes no sense," the Prince muttered.

"But it really does though, doesn't it?" Botan said. Koenma looked up at her. "In a nonsensical sort of way, that is," she retreated quickly.

"How does it make sense?" Koenma asked.

"Karasu was after Kurama's life when he died," Botan replied, ticking off a finger as if making a mental list. "Karasu has been the common denominator in al of his dreams as of late," another finger down. "And apparently, his old wounds from that fight have been extra sensitive since the dreams started." Another finger down before she looked back up at Koenma. He was frowning.

"All true, but Karasu is dead. His spirit is most definitely here in Spirit World. I just don't see how he could be attacking Kurama."

"There's a hidden link here," Botan said thoughtfully.

"One we need to find, and fast," Koenma added. "This is not a good time for Kurama to be down."

"What if other demons realize that he is distracted and weaker than usual?" Botan said, eyes suddenly fearful at the thought.

"They would take advantage of it," Koenma replied, tone also suddenly nervous. "We need to talk to Yusuke!"

"I'm on it," Botan replied, pulling her communication mirror from her kimono. A few moments after flipping it open, a face appeared on the screen. "Yus-" Botan began before registering the face on the screen. "Hiei? Why do you have Yusuke's mirror again?"

"When the fool realizes it's missing, I may consider returning it," the fire demon retorted. Botan rolled her amethyst eyes and sighed. "Is there a reason you called?"

"Yes, actually, there was," she replied.

"And?"

"We realized that Kurama is vulnerable to attack right now and if any enemy demons realized it, there could be problems," Botan explained.

"Of course," Hiei snorted. "Did you really think I wouldn't have realized that? The Detective and the fool, sure, but I have a brain." Botan laughed sheepishly.

"I don't know what we were thinking," she said. Koenma grabbed the mirror from her hands.

"Have you talked to the others about it?" the Prince demanded.

"Genkai yes, the other two, no."

"What!" Botan and Koenma exclaimed in unison.

"I'm sure I'll be more than adequate to eradicate any low-class that tries to hurt the fox while he's down," Hiei replied.

"What if it isn't a low-class?" Koenma returned. Hiei gave the Prince an even stare.

"I'm sure I'll be more than adequate," he repeated, then snapped the mirror shut, leaving the Spirit World end with static. Koenma sighed.

"I hope that arrogance isn't misplaced," he said.

"We probably won't have to worry about it anyway," Botan said, her voice regaining some of its normal perk. "The reputation of the Tantei is enough to keep most demons at bay, rumors or not."

"True enough," Koenma agreed. "I just hope that mysterious being doesn't make its presence known until Kurama is back to normal. It seems to be getting stronger every day."

"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it, Sir."

"Yes. Yes we will."

* * *

Kurama pushed the front door to his home open and closed it behind him. He rested his head against the door for a moment before slipping his shoes off. He frowned when he saw another pair next to his mother's. They didn't belong to Hatanaka or his son, Shuichi, but they definitely belonged to a male.

"Mother?" he called out.

"In the living room, Suuichi," Shiori's voice replied. Kurama made his way to the living room and paused at the doorway. Shiori looked up and gave him a smile. Her companion did as well.

"Hello, Suuichi," he greeted.

"Dr. Hikari," Kurama replied with a nod. As well as being his doctor, Sousuke Hikari was an old family friend. However, because of his practice, he never had much time to stop by for a visit.

"Come, sit," Shiori invited, gesturing to the seat next to her. Kurama chose one across from both instead. He had always been adamant about picking higher ground when fighting a battle, whether of words or weapons. He watched them warily for a moment before speaking.

"Is something wrong?" His mother and doctor exchanged glances, causing the hackles on the back of his neck to rise. This was going to be a battle of some sort, Kurama decided. They were up to something, and despite his weariness, he was not going to let his guard down, even if they were only human.

"Your mother has been telling me that you're having nightmares, Suuichi. Is that true?" Dr. Hikari asked finally. Kurama paused a moment before speaking.

"Yes," he replied. There was no point in denying what his mother already knew.

"And how long have you been having them?" the doctor asked.

"A few weeks," Kurama replied once more. He knew his mother had already put two-and-two together, so there was no point in lying about that either. Dr. Hikari nodded thoughtfully. Shiori exchanged another glance with the doctor before turning to her son. Kurama hated when others plotted behind his back, as he had so often done, and these two were definitely plotting something.

"Dr. Hikari recommended some pills," she began tenatively, but Kurama cut her off as he jumped to his feet in surprise.

"Pills?" You think I need medication?" He blinked at his tone after seeing the surprised looks on Shiori and Dr. Hikari's faces. "I apologize," he said softly, sitting back down. He could feel Shiori's worried eyes on him.

"They're just sleeping pills, Suuichi; to help you get to sleep at night," she said gently.

"And to stay asleep," Dr. Hikari added.

"No," Kurama said immediately. With the dreams he had been having, the last thing he wanted to do was stay asleep. And now that he was waking up with physical wounds… Kurama began to reach for his bandaged neck before he realized what he was doing. He stopped himself and placed his hand firmly in his lap.

"Please, hear me out, Suuichi," the doctor said quickly. "Dreaming occurs in the REM phase of sleep, but these pills would take you directly to slow-wave sleep, which is the more restful part of sleep, and keep you there for the duration of the night."

"No," Kurama repeated, shaking his head adamantly. If none of his plants, human or demon, could stop the dreams, he highly doubted some human medication would have the desired effect. Only bad side effects would come of it, that much he was sure of.

"Suuichi…" the doctor began, but Kurama shook his head once more.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm alright." Shiori sighed.

"Alright, Suuichi, you win." Kurama nodded and she turned to the doctor. "Would you like to stay for dinner, Sousuke?"

"I would love to, Shiori. It's been far too long," he replied. Shiori looked back at Kurama.

"Suuichi, do you…?"

"No, no. By all means. Old friends really need to catch up." He stood up. "But I was planning to go to the library tonight to study. I can get something to eat while I'm out."

"But…" Shiori began to protest.

"We have a test coming up and I really need to study," Kurama replied firmly. "But don't let me ruin your evening."

"If that's what you want…?"

"It's a rather important exam."

"Alright, just don't stay out too late," Shiori sighed.

"Of course, Mother." Kurama turned to the doctor and longtime family friend. "Good evening, Dr. Hikari," he said with the slightest bow.

"Good evening, Suuichi," he replied with a nod of the head. Kurama exited the room and immediately headed for his bedroom. He suddenly felt exhausted, as if he had just fought a major battle. Opening his bedroom door, he was greeted with the sight of Hiei perched on his window sill. Kurama closed the door behind him and walked over to his bed, where he sat down with a groan.

"What are you doing here, Hiei?" he asked wearily.

"Do I need a reason?" Hiei retorted. Kurama sighed wearily.

"I suppose not. But you do seem to be coming by more often as of late."

"Hn." The two friends sat in silence for several minutes as the sound of cookware being jostled out came from the downstairs. "I thought you were going to study," Hiei said finally. Kurama quirked an eyebrow but did not say anything. Playing games like this with Hiei took energy; energy that he did not have right now.

"What I need is time to clear my mind," Kurama said after a moment. Hiei looked over at the red-head.

"And?" he prompted.

"There's a nice spot in the park by a stream. I go there sometimes when I need some peace and quiet," Kurama explained as he stood up.

"Do what you want," Hiei said. Kurama frowned.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't?"

"You're the intelligent one. Do what you will."

"How comforting," Kurama said with a roll of his emerald eyes.

"Hn." That warranted no response. The red-head grabbed a light jacket from his desk chair before turning back to the window. Hiei was gone.

"Why am I not surprised?" he sighed before heading out.

* * *

Nighttime in nature, especially in the spring, was a revitalizing time and place for Kurama. With all the new flora coming to life, his plant awareness increased exponentially, as did his spirits. His medium was returning to life, and thus, so was his power.

Clear nights, such as tonight had always had a calming effect on Kurama's psyche. Only certain parts of Demon World had stars during the night, and more often than not, the fox would go out of his way to spend a night under them. Perhaps it was getting lost in a world of infinite proportion or marveling at the beauty and wonder of each speck of light or perhaps it was something entirely different. But whatever it was, it worked wonders on his heart. And tonight that was exactly what he needed.

Kurama sat with his back against the thick trunk of a tree. A small stream meandered parallel to the tree; the sound of softly running water was soothing to Kurama's enhanced hearing. The moon and starlight reflected on the surface of the water, trembling as the moving water diffracted the light. The sounds of insects coming to life added to the moving water to make a peaceful background noise.

Closing his eyes, Kurama set to clearing his mind. He felt all his muscles relax and his breathing slow and even out. Focusing on the sounds of nature, he began to paint the picture of the night sky in his mind's eye, successfully pushing out any unwanted thoughts. It had been a long time since he had to work to clear his mind. As he at perfectly relaxed, mind concentrating on the night sky, his thoughts and emotions began to sort through themselves. Sometimes letting one's heart do the work _was_ the right thing to do, when cool logic failed.

As he continued to sit, focused only on painting the night sky in his mind, his heart began to sort through all that had been going through his head. The weight on Kurama's heart seemed to lift as things returned to their rightful place. When the final weight lifted, the image in Kurama's mind was completed. He opened his eyes and he seemed to see everything around him a little bit clearer than he had earlier. His mind was functioning normally once more. The fox gave himself a small, satisfied smile. Perhaps tonight he would finally get some much needed sleep.

* * *

The calm night that surrounded Genkai's secluded temple was interrupted by the enraged exclamation that came from the inside.

"He might be attacked?" Yusuke cried out in surprise. Hiei nodded.

"It's a distinct possibility," Genkai replied.

"Then we have to watch him," the Spirit Detective said. The fact that one of his friends was not only being mentally attacked, but might be physically as well enraged him.

"Fool. What do you think I've been doing?" Hiei growled. Yusuke looked at the fire demon in surprise.

"Then you already knew?"

"I suspected," Hiei confirmed.

"And you didn't tell us?" Kuwabara demanded from his seat next to Yusuke.

"I didn't think I'd need to," Hiei retorted.

"And you tell us now, why?" Yusuke prodded.

"Because Koenma wanted you to know," Genkai answered instead.

"You were in on this too, Grandma?"

"I wasn't 'in' on anything, dimwit. I merely used my brain and came to the same conclusion Hiei did." Yusuke grumbled inaudibly under his breath as Kuwabara frowned.

"So what are we going to do?" the orange-haired boy asked finally.

"Nothing. Not now anyway," Hiei replied gruffly.

"Nothing? What the hell, Hiei? Kurama could be in danger!" Yusuke growled.

"I'm more worried about his mental safety," the fire demon said softly, a tone indicating how serious he was. Yusuke's temper calmed at the sound of Hiei's concern for his best friend.

"Where is he tonight?" Genkai asked suddenly.

"He went to clear his thoughts," Hiei replied.

"And you left him alone?" Kuwabara demanded.

"Yes, you fool."

"Call me a dimwit or whatever, but I don't follow," Yusuke said, scratching his head.

"Kurama went to meditate," Genkai answered. "I'm guessing with his plant abilities, he went somewhere where he could become one with nature." Hiei nodded. Genkai nodded to herself at the confirmation. "The only way he could successfully clear his mind and work through his thoughts is if he was completely alone."

"What if he is attacked while he's 'becoming one with nature'?" Yusuke retorted. Hiei snorted.

"No demon is that foolish, unless they have a death wish."

"What does that mean?" Kuwabara asked, not following. Yusuke nodded his seconding of the question.

"When a plant master, like Kurama, becomes mentally vulnerable while he's in nature, the surrounding plant life will protect him while his consciousness is elsewhere. Anything with malicious intent would find themselves facing the forces of nature," the fire demon explained. Yusuke's and Kuwabara's eyes widened.

"Damn," Yusuke whistled softly.

"You said it," Kuwabara echoed. Hiei turned to Genkai.

"He went around sunset. My guess is he'll return around midnight." Genkai nodded her agreement. Standing, she looked out the window.

"It's getting close to midnight now."

"Crap!" Kuwabara exclaimed at this. "Shizuru's gonna kill me!" Genkai waved a dismissing hand.

"Stay here the night and tell her it was at my request." Yusuke and Kuwabara nodded and headed off to find a place to sleep, officially ending the meeting. "What will you do, Hiei?" she asked, not bothering to turn to face the demon.

"Hope the fox knows what he's doing," he replied before disappearing. Genkai nodded her agreement.

"As will I."

* * *

The aura of Kurama's room seemed almost hostile when he entered it. He frowned, searching for the source of the darkness, but was unable to pinpoint the source. It felt so familiar… yet different at the same time. Deciding that he was not going to let miscellaneous worries ruin his successful evening, Kurama slipped on his pajamas. Sliding into his bed, he checked the clock. 1:17 a.m. He grimaced and hoped his mother had not worried.

Turning off the light, Kurama felt confident as he prepared for sleep. Though he was exhausted, he felt as if his mental barriers were fortified. He could get some rest tonight; a rare treat as of late. Almost immediately, he was welcomed by the beckoning arms of sleep.

For awhile Kurama slept, oblivious to all that was around him. However, it was a pounding sound that brought consciousness to his mind.

_He had no shape or form, but he was able to wander. He realized suddenly that he was in his mind. He could see the barriers set up, seemingly made of stone. He felt confident they would hold, except… his nonexistent eyes looked up at a pounding sound. Something was trying to break through his barriers. At the sound of crumbling stone, Kurama realized the intruder was succeeding._

_He could do nothing but watch and listen as barrier after barrier fell. He watched until there was one final barrier separating him from his attacker. The wall around him crumbled and Karasu stood on the other side. Kurama's eyes widened as he realized he had shape again._

"_That was amusing, Kurama. You thought you could rebuild your mental barriers and keep me out. And it almost worked," the crow said._

"_What?" was all Kurama could manage to say._

"_You're exhausted. You've lost so much sleep that you're beginning to use your energy just to function. Your supplies are being depleted as you sleep. There is no way a barrier made with no energy behind it could protect you. Perhaps if your thoughts were together…"_

"_No. This isn't possible," Kurama groaned. Karasu grinned malevolently._

"_Oh, but is." He snapped his fingers and they stood in the Dark Tournament ring. He snapped his pale fingers again and they stood in the alley where Karasu had bit him. Another snap and they were in a cemetery. Karasu's grin widened. "How I've waited for this."_

"_What?" Karasu pointed behind the red-head and Kurama turned. He stood at the head of a freshly dug grave. The tombstone read:_

_Youko Kurama  
__Suuichi Minamino  
__1,000+ years  
__16 years  
__Legendary Bandit  
__Reikai Tantei_

_Kurama's eyes widened in shock. He turned back, but not in time; Karasu made his move. Kurama gasped as he felt the crow's hand go through his stomach. Warm blood bubbled in his mouth. He gasped again and spit out blood as Karasu removed his hand._

"_Your pain and fear give me strength," he whispered in Kurama's ear, before biting the old bite wound again. Had he been able to, Kurama would have cried out in pain. He fell backwards into the grave into an open coffin. The lid closed on top of him. "Farewell, my kitsune," the crow crooned as the sound of dirt hitting the top of the coffin met the fox's ears._

I'm really going to die,_ he thought, suddenly afraid. His vision began to blur as the blood loss and pain finally got to him. The last thing he heard was the sound of dirt hitting the grave…_

Kurama's eyes bolted open and he tried to breath, but only tasted blood. He coughed as he felt an intense pain in his stomach. He could feel blood pooling underneath him on the sheets. He was losing a lot and quickly. If he wanted to survive, he was going to have to act fast.

* * *

Hiei's eyes bolted open. He immediately leapt to his feet and vanished from the tree he had taken over on Genkai's grounds. He ran as fast as he could toward Kurama's house. The smell of blood, Kurama's blood, became stronger as he drew nearer. The fox would have to have lost a lot of blood for Hiei to smell it so far away. _Any nearby demon could smell this,_ he realized, which only spurred him to run faster.

Arriving at Kurama's window, the stench of blood was overpowering. Hiei jumped into the room and made his way to Kurama's bed. Kurama's head lay on the pillow, his face deathly pale. _His energy is practically gone._ He was about to make some sort of move when emerald eyes opened to meet his ruby ones.

"Hiei," the fox croaked weakly.

_Don't speak,_ Hiei commanded his best friend mentally.

_Alright._

_What happened?_

_Stomach._ Hiei looked at Kurama, who nodded weakly. He pulled the blood stained blanket from the practically limp form of Kurama, and was met with a bloody hole in the fox's pajama top. The wound, however, was missing. Hiei looked back to Kurama's face.

_You used all your remaining energy to heal the wound._

_Had to do something._

_Your energy is depleted._

_I need time to recover._

_Not alone, you don't._

_Is that an offer to help, Hiei?_

_Hn._

_Thank you. _Kurama blinked. _How much of it did you see?_

_All of it._

_I see._ The red-head paused. _I'm glad you're here._

_Me too,_ Hiei replied almost inaudibly.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So, it's just moving along. Not much else to say. I'm really enjoying writing this story, so I hope you're enjoying reading it. Let me know: leave a review. It's always nice to hear that someone is reading the story.

_Revised as of 12/28/05_


	5. Helpless

**Review Responses:** w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / c h i p p e r l u v a 1 0 /

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.

* * *

Chapter 5

Helpless

* * *

Shiori looked at the clock and frowned at Suuichi's absence. He was normally awake by now, as it was a school day. Her son was quite punctual… when he had not disappeared for a few days. But even then there was usually a quick note telling her not to worry. Taking another glance at the clock, Shiori sighed and headed upstairs to her son's room. The door was closed and it was quiet on the other side, meaning he was still asleep. He had come home late the night before… maybe he just slept through his alarm. No, Suuichi was a light sleeper.

The sight that greeted Shiori when she opened the door was not one she was expecting. Suuichi lay in bed on his back, eyes closed. His breathing was slow, almost too slow, and his face looked ghostly pale against his red hair. Shiori slowly made her way to her son's bedside. His face was not only pale, but covered in sweat. She pressed a hand to his forehead and immediately withdrew it; he was burning up.

"Suuichi?" she called softly. Emerald eyes opened slowly and tried to focus on her concerned face.

"Mother?" he croaked. Shiori held back a gasp at his weak voice.

"Oh, Suuichi. What's wrong?"

"Stomachache," he replied hoarsely, voice barely audible.

"You're burning up. And you're pale."

"Am I?"

"Yes."

"I feel weak."

"I'll let the school know you're not able to come today," Shiori said. "I'll call the doctor."

"No!" he said, voice suddenly stronger, almost alarmed.

"Suuichi, you're sick. You need a doctor."

"Mother, no," he protested.

"What has gotten into… Oh, Suuichi, he's not going to make you take those pills," Shiori said as realization hit her.

"Mother, really. I just need rest."

"I'll let the doctor tell me that for sure. It could be something worse. I'll bring some water after I call Dr. Hikari."

"Mother…"

"Rest. I'll take care of you." Shiori left her son's room, closing the door behind her. She headed to the kitchen where she pulled out Sousuke Hikari's phone number. She dialed it hurriedly. _Please answer. Please answer._

"Hello?"

"Sousuke, it's Shiori. Suuichi is sick."

"Is it the…"

"No. He has a fever and a stomachache. He's pale and clammy and says he feels weak."

"I'll be right over."

* * *

As Shiori closed the door behind her, Kurama slumped wearily and painfully back against his pillow. His vain argument with his mother had not only gotten him nowhere, it had cost him precious energy. He sighed and tasted the metallic tang of blood still lingering in his mouth.

With Hiei's help, Kurama had changed his pajamas and sheets, so Shiori would not notice all the blood. Actually, more like Hiei had done all the work while the weakened Kurama had supervised. But the offending sheets of cloth were now safely tucked away in the back of Kurama's closet to be dealt with later.

Knowing his mother would call the doctor worried Kurama. His wound was almost completely headed, but he had lost a lot of blood. Not only that, but his energy had been depleted by the effort to heal the wound. Thus, the doctor would not be able to find a definitive source of his "illness," and that would lead to questions. Hopefully those questions would not lead to the hospital, as they would definitely notice his blood loss and that would lead to even more troublesome questions. But most of all, Kurama did not have the energy to play such games. He needed time to recover his energy. Hiei had given him some to spur his recovery, but the fire demon could only give him so much, as not to cause Kurama's weakened system to go into shock.

However, he needed to sleep to recover his energy. But the fox was worried that if he fell asleep again, he probably would not wake up. Staying awake was taking more energy than he had. Sooner or later, he would fall asleep, whether he liked it or not.

Kurama's bedroom door opened once more and Shiori poked her head in. She smiled when she saw he was awake. She had a glass of water in he hand as she sat down on the edge of his bed.

"Dr. Hikari is on his way," she said. Kurama sighed unhappily. Shiori brushed a few wet strands of red hair from his pale face. "Oh, Suuichi." As she brushed her hand by his face, the scars on her arms appeared from under her sleeves. A knot formed in the fox's formerly wounded stomach. She had done so much for him and look how he was repaying her: lies and childish actions. For what seemed like a long time, Shiori sat stroking her son's hair in a motherly, comforting fashion. It almost made Kurama forget his troubles. Almost.

Finally, there was a knock on the front door. "He's here," Shiori said quietly, standing up. She left the room to let him in. Kurama sighed. After a few minutes, his bedroom door opened once more to admit Dr. Hikari, Shiori close behind. The doctor made his way to the bedside. He felt Kurama's forehead and blinked in surprise.

"High fever," he muttered under his breath. "Tell me, Suuichi. What's bothering you?"

"Stomach," Kurama replied weakly. Well, it was partly true.

"Any vomiting?"

"No." If coughing up blood did not count.

"When did it start?"

"Middle of the night." Dr. Hikari frowned.

"Did you eat anything unusual?"

"No." The doctor sighed and looked at Shiori.

"Without all my tools, I'm not really sure. My best guess is that it is a stomach virus."

"And?" Shiori pressed.

"I'd recommend bed rest."

Kurama rolled his eyes. _They act as if I'm not sitting right here._

"Just rest?" Shiori asked, surprised.

"Lots of liquids, of course. If it gets any worse, let me know immediately," the doctor replied.

"Alright. Thank you, Sousuke."

"Of course. I'll just show myself out." Shiori watched as the doctor left and turned back to her son.

"It seems you were right, Suuichi." Kurama gave her a small smile.

"I guess I just know myself," he replied quietly. Shiori smiled in return.

"Well, get your rest. I'm supposed to work, but I can take the day off." Kurama immediately shook his head, his voice gaining strength once more.

"No, don't. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." Shiori bit her lip. "You can't afford to take off any more time from work, Mother. We're still paying the hospital bills." There was no arguing with her son's logic, no matter how much she wanted to.

"Alright. If you're sure you'll be alright." Kurama nodded. "Call me if you need anything."

"Alright," he agreed, voice weakening once more. Shiori brushed her son's hair back once more.

"Feel better," she said before leaving. A few minutes later, Kurama heard the front door open and close as Shiori left for work. A few moments passed before Hiei came in through the window. He pulled up Kurama's desk chair and sat, legs straddling the back. He rested his chin on the top as he watched his friend.

_Well?_ Kurama finally asked.

_The old hag said she had no idea,_ Hiei replied. Kurama sighed.

_It's Karasu,_ he said. Hiei looked at his friend levelly.

_That's what I've been trying to tell Koenma._

_But he doesn't believe you._ It was not a question. As such, Hiei made no response. Kurama watched his friend for a moment, then closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he opened them again. Hiei frowned. Out of the corner of his eye, Kurama caught the action. _What?_ he asked.

_What do you think?_ the fire demon retorted. Tired emerald eyes stared levelly in response.

_Hiei._ The fire demon returned the stare.

_What?_ Kurama merely watched his friend with tired eyes. The fire demon finally relented. _You need sleep to recover your energy._

_If I fall asleep, I probably won't wake up again,_ Kurama replied. Hiei stifled a frustrated sigh.

_You'll need to sleep eventually._

_I know. I'm so exhausted that I won't be able to stay awake much longer. But I'm… I'm afraid of what will happen when I do._

_

* * *

_

"A what?" Genkai asked.

"A dream blocking technique," Hiei repeated impatiently.

"For Kurama." Genkai's eyes widened in understanding.

"Yes. Now do you know anything?" Hiei pressed.

"Follow me," the aged psychic said, heading into the temple. Hiei had no choice but to do as he was bidden. The fire demon followed the psychic through the temple in a direction he had never been before.

"Are we sightseeing?" he grumbled as their walk stretched on.

"And I call Yusuke a dimwit," Genkai muttered under her breath as they reached a closed door. "This is where we were going," she said more loudly, turning to Hiei. She opened the door and walked in. Hiei followed, entering what could only be described as a library. There were more than a few books in this room. Hiei looked at Genkai, mild surprise playing on his features. She shrugged.

"I like to read." She made her way down an aisle near the end of the room and Hiei followed. Making her way toward the end of the aisle she stopped and studied the book titles at eye level. Finally, she picked out a book. She flipped it to the index. Scanning the page, she found what she was looking for and turned to a new page. She scanned the new page and nodded to herself before turning back to Hiei.

"This is a dream blocking technique, the only one I know of for an external source. However, it is quite difficult." Her eyes flickered to Hiei's covered forehead. "But with the Jagan, you never know."

Hiei took the proffered book with a muttered "Hn."

"You're welcome," Genkai said as the fire demon disappeared.

* * *

Yusuke opened the door to Kurama's bedroom, unsure and nervous of what he would find. He sighed in relief when the fox looked up as he and Kuwabara entered. However, Yusuke immediately noticed the paleness of the red-head's face and the exhaustion in his eyes. Yusuke nodded to Hiei, who was perched on the window sill, then made his way, followed by Kuwabara, to his friend's bedside.

"How're you feeling, Kurama?" the Spirit Detective asked. He received a small smile in return.

"I've been better, but I'll be alright." Yusuke was taken aback by the weakness of Kurama's voice. The fox's gaze drifted to Hiei, who was watching him. By the looks in their eyes, it seemed they were having one of their private conversations again. Yusuke exchanged an annoyed glance with Kuwabara, then turned back to his demon friends.

"Mind sharing with the rest of the class?" Hiei just looked away, while Kurama gave a sheepish smile that still managed to scream that he was not sorry. Yusuke had no idea how he did it, so just rolled his eyes. It seemed Kurama would be alright. When Hiei had met the two of them at the end of school and told them what happened, he had been worried. Now that he saw Kurama smiling, he realized the fox would be okay. But he still wondered…

"How long are you gonna be out?" Kuwabara asked, unknowingly voicing Yusuke's concern. Kurama frowned thoughtfully.

"I don't know. However long it takes to recover my energy." Yusuke did not miss the pointed stare Hiei gave the red-head, but Kurama took no notice, or pretended not to anyway.

The pallor of Kurama's face was hard for Yusuke to look at. It hurt him that he could do nothing for his friend. At the same time, Kurama was so strong, yet he was being easily rundown by these dreams. And the fact that Kurama was the most intelligent of the group with his thousand-year past, yet he had no idea what was going on, was unnerving. Kurama looked over at Yusuke, who realized he had been staring.

"Yusuke?" The Spirit Detective flushed slightly.

"Sorry. Just thinking." Hiei snorted.

"That's a new one." Yusuke glared at the fire demon.

"Funny." He turned back to Kurama. "So, you have no idea what happened?"

"Nothing concrete," the red-head answered, voice still weak.

"Any your mom?" Kuwabara asked.

"Thinks I have a stomach virus," Kurama replied, a small twinkle in his tired eyes. Yusuke noticed a smirk playing at the corners of Hiei's mouth.

"Did I miss something?" he asked.

"No," Kurama replied smoothly. He looked over at Hiei. "Demon humor."

"Right," replied Yusuke with a roll of his eyes.

"Demons," Kuwabara confirmed with a roll of his eyes as well.

* * *

As the night continued to wear on, Kurama struggled to stay awake. His body was weak as a result of his depleted energy. Normally after one day most of the fox's energy would have returned. However, due to his exhaustion, his energy was slow in returning. It would take more than a week at this rate to fully recover. A week that he did not have. He needed sleep. But going to sleep would inevitably lead to another dream; and this time he would not be strong enough to recover from a major wound. So, in other words, if he fell asleep, he would most likely die.

_It's not like you haven't lived a long life,_ Kurama thought sardonically to himself. _Face it, you're overdue for death._ But flashes of his family and friends passed through his mind and he sighed. For once, he was living a life he was content with. He was not ready to die yet. He had so much to atone for. And there were those he cared for. He was not ready to leave them yet. Ironic that his life as a human, rather than a legendary demon would be the one he was least willing to give up.

His eyelids began to drop but he forced them open. His door creaked open and Shiori poked her head in. She frowned when she saw he was still awake. She made her way to his bedside and sat down.

"What's wrong, Suuichi?"

"Can't sleep," he replied.

"You need your rest," Shiori said softly. _You have no idea._

"You do too," Kurama said, changing the subject. Shiori flushed slightly.

"I'm fine, Suuichi. You worry too much about me and not enough about yourself." She smiled fondly at her son. "You're the one who needs the care right now, not me. And stop trying to change the subject." Kurama gave her a small smile in return.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Just rest." Shiori moved up next to her son on the bed and softly stroked his red hair. The sensation was soothing. Before Kurama realized what was happening, his eyelids were becoming heavy. He found he did not have the power to stop them from closing. As he lost consciousness, he could feel Shiori's motherly touch easing him to sleep. His vision faded as he was embraced by the warmness of sleep.

* * *

Hiei watched from his favorite tree outside of Kurama's window as the fox's mother finally got him to sleep. The moment tired and hurting emerald eyes were no longer visible, Hiei closed his own eyes and felt his power transfer to the Jagan. Using what the book had said, he imagined a mental barrier around Kurama and focused all his energy into making it real.

_The fox better appreciate this,_ he grumbled to himself as he settled himself for a long stay in the tree.

* * *

It was in the early morning hours that Hiei felt a force attempt to reach through his barrier to the sleeping fox. Hiei could feel that familiar dark aura from Kurama's dreams in the bedroom. It seemed much stronger than the last time. It was battling against the shield. Hiei frowned and put a little repulsion into the energy shield. Almost immediately the force was thrown away from Kurama's mind.

_You can't protect him forever, Hiei,_ a coldly familiar voice rang through the fire demon's head. _Sooner or later, I'll get what I desire_.

* * *

Bright light assaulted Kurama's closed eyes. Unable to stand the interference with his sleep any longer, he opened his eyes and was surprised to see the sunlight flooding in through the window. Sitting up, he frowned at the clock, which read 10:23 a.m.

_Was I asleep?_ He turned at the sound of his door opening. Shiori looked in, eyes widening when she saw him. She stepped fully into the room and made her way to her son.

"Oh, Suuichi! You're awake!" she said happily.

"Was I asleep?" he asked, confused. Shiori frowned

"For three days." Kurama's eyes shot wide in surprise. _And I'm still alive?_ He frowned and realized all of his energy had returned as well. "I better call Dr. Hikari and let him know you're awake." She left the room, smiling widely.

"Why do I have a feeling you know what happened, Hiei?" Kurama said softly, gaze still locked on the door.

"Hn," came the familiar response as the fire demon slipped into his room. The red-head turned to his friend.

"Well?"

"I see you're awake," the fire demon said instead.

"That's not what I asked," Kurama said, then frowned at the slight bags under Hiei's eyes. They were so slight anyone else probably would not have noticed them. "Were you awake this whole time?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

"Hn."

"Why?" Hiei paused a moment, as if debating whether he would answer or not. "Hiei, the truth." Instead of saying anything, the fire demon tossed a book onto Kurama's bed. The fox opened to the bookmarked page, then looked at his friend in surprise. "A dream blocking shield?"

"Yes. And I see it worked. You seem to have recovered your energy." Kurama was speechless at what his friend had done for him.

"Hiei, I…"

"Save it. It was getting annoying being around Yusuke and Kuwabara without you to stop their stupidity." Kurama smiled.

"I see," he said, taking the real meaning behind Hiei's words. "Thank you."

"Whatever. Just don't get yourself killed."

"Of course." When the doorknob on Kurama's door began to twist, Hiei immediately jumped out the window and out of sight as Shiori came back in.

"I let Dr. Hikari know and he wants to come over and examine you later on," she said. Kurama nodded, deciding it was best not to argue at this point. "And I let your friends Yusuke and Kuwabara know you were feeling better."

"What?" Shiori smiled.

"They came by several times while you were sleeping to see how you were doing. They were worried about you. They're on their way over, if you're feeling up to visitors." Kurama nodded once more.

"Sure," he said, not quite sure of what else to say.

"Alright." She turned to the door. "I'm glad you're doing better Suuichi. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to you." Kurama felt a weight settle in his recently repaired stomach. She gave him another smile, then headed out his door. Kurama sighed. Hiei dropped into the window once more.

"The Detective and the moron are on the way," he said, gesturing out the window with his head. Kurama said nothing and Hiei rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're feeling guilty now."

"It wouldn't be the first time," the fox replied.

"You're going soft," Hiei snorted.

"Maybe," Kurama replied, not falling for the bait.

"Stupid fox." Kurama gave Hiei a small smile, causing the fire demon to relent. Before another word could be spoken, the bedroom door opened once more to admit Yusuke and Kuwabara. The two boys grinned at seeing Kurama awake and in control once more.

"How're you feeling?" Yusuke asked.

"Much better," Kurama replied with a smile, the first genuine one in weeks.

"Your energy is back," Kuwabara commented. _Always the sixth sense,_ Kurama thought idly to himself.

"Yes."

"We're back in business," Yusuke grinned.

_I hope so._

_

* * *

_

Night had fallen once more, and again, Kurama lay awake. He told himself it had been the three day sleep he had had, but his heart told him differently. It would be another long night.

* * *

Botan sat pouring over books in the library in the Spirit World palace. What Hiei had told them about the first night of the dream shield was spinning through her head. _He heard Karasu's voice. There has to be something there._

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note:** I wanted to get an update in before I head to Colorado for the next week because of softball. Two ten hour drives should give me plenty of time to work on my fics, though. So anyway, I hope you enjoyed. Leave me a review and I'll love you forever!

_Revised as of 1/2/06_


	6. A Kiss of Darkness

**Review Responses: **w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / C h i p p e r l u v a 1 0

**Disclaimer:** I don't own what you recognize.

* * *

Chapter 6

A Kiss of Darkness

* * *

Kurama slumped wearily against a nearby tree as Yusuke and Kuwabara congratulated each other on killing the rogue demon. Hiei took a perch in a branch above the fox as he sheathed his katana. It had not been an especially strong demon, but sleepless nights were catching up with Kurama once more. It had been four days since he had recovered from his wound, but once more, the fox had been avoiding sleeping.

Kurama knew that it was silly to avoid sleeping, as it was quickly depleting his energy stores after recovering from such a serious wound, but the threat of the dreams was keeping the red-head awake at night yet again. He knew Hiei could not and would not stay awake every night with a shield so he could sleep; he could never ask such a ridiculous thing of his friend.

Emerald eyes blinked away fatigue as Yusuke and Kuwabara made their way over. Kurama forced a smile for his two human friends.

"Nothing like a good ass-kicking to make your day," Yusuke said with a grin. "Normally, it would be Kuwabara, but he was lucky we found that demon today." Kuwabara glared at his friend.

"Lucky nothing, Urameshi! I could beat you any time I wanted!"

"Yeah, whatever, Kuwabara. Just like you beat Rinku, Shishi, and Suzuka?" Yusuke retorted.

"I just got cheated is all!" the orange-haired boy replied angrily. "Besides, I beat Risho to save your neck when I was all injured."

"He's got you there, Yusuke," Kurama said, amusement evident in his voice and eyes. Yusuke opened his mouth but no sound came out. Kurama could just feel Hiei's eyes rolling above him.

"Now _you're_ turning on me, fox boy?" Yusuke said finally. Kurama merely gave the Spirit Detective an innocent smile. Yusuke threw up his hands in frustration.

_How can you stand this?_ Hiei's voice asked in Kurama's head.

_It's amusing,_ Kurama replied, still smiling.

_Stupid fox._

_I'm going soft, right?_ Kurama asked, amused.

_Hn._

Kurama stifled a combination of a laugh and a yawn, which came out sounding more like a cough. The red-head could feel Hiei glaring at him. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked over the two demons; from Hiei to Kurama and back to Hiei.

"Don't you two ever talk the normal way?" Yusuke grumbled. Kurama smiled mysteriously and Hiei turned away. The Spirit Detective sighed and turned to Kuwabara. "Arcade?" he asked. Kuwabara nodded his agreement. He turned to Kurama.

"Kurama?" The red-head shook his head.

"I'll have to decline, Yusuke."

"I'm going to get you to come some time, fox boy."

"I'm sure you will," Kurama replied. "Just not today."

"Okay. See ya later." Yusuke waved a farewell as he and Kuwabara headed out of the park. When the two had made it out of hearing range, Hiei jumped down in front of his fox friend. He frowned at the red-head. Kurama returned the look.

"What?" he asked finally.

"Those two might not have noticed anything, but that demon had a target," Hiei answered tightly.

"And what was that?" Kurama asked wearily.

"Don't play stupid," Hiei growled. Kurama sighed.

"Fine," the red-head snipped, as wave of irritation hit him. "It headed right at me. Is that what you're getting at?"

"That's exactly what I'm getting at."

"I could have been the first one it saw, you realize?"

"But it kept coming back at you," Hiei retorted. Kurama rubbed his temples. The fire demon frowned at the tired appearance of his friend. "Have you been dreaming again?"

"No." _You can't dream if you don't sleep, after all._

"Have you been sleeping?" _Damn._ Kurama hesitated. "Kurama?"

"No," he said finally. Hiei's eyes narrowed in a rare show of concern.

"You need to sleep. You're still recovering."

"I know. It's just…" Kurama trailed off uncomfortably. He hated showing weakness.

"The dreams," Hiei supplied. Kurama nodded. "Damnit fox. You know very well that you have to face your problem to get past it. That's never been a problem for you before."

"I know."

"Then why now?" Kurama opened his mouth, but nothing came out. That was a question he didn't have an answer to. It was an answer he had been searching for himself.

"I don't know, Hiei. I just don't know."

* * *

"Spirit Gun!" Yusuke cried as he shot down another demon. The creature crumpled to the ground lifeless. The Spirit Detective bent over, hands on his knees. Kuwabara's Spirit Sword vanished as Kurama's Rose Whip once more became a rose, which he returned to his hair, and Hiei sheathed his katana. Kurama made a quick scan of the surrounding area. Luckily, there was no one watching. Yusuke stood up and slumped against the alley wall. He pulled out his communication mirror and flipped it open. Kurama leaned against the opposite wall and slid down to a sitting position.

"Yusuke?" Botan's voice said. "What's wrong?" Her voice was suddenly concerned.

"Oh, nothing," Yusuke replied sarcastically, "unless you count all the demons that have suddenly been attacking us the last three days."

"What!"

"I thought demons were supposed to be quiet after a Tournament."

"They are," Botan replied. Kurama could hear the frown in her voice. "Oh, but speaking of the Tournament; that spectral reading we've been following has been getting stronger, but peaked about a week and a half ago."

"And?" Yusuke prodded irritably.

"Perhaps these occurrences are linked," Kurama supplied. Yusuke looked over at his friend.

"You think so?"

"I don't believe in coincidences," the red-head replied firmly.

Yusuke turned back to the mirror. "What do you think, Botan?"

"It's a definite possibility," she replied. "I'll talk to Koenma and get back to you." Yusuke nodded and was about to shut the mirror when Botan spoke up a bit hesitantly. "How's Kurama?" Yusuke looked up at Kurama, who was taken aback by the concern.

"Fine," the red-head said, quickly covering his surprise.

"Good," Botan said. "I better tell Koenma."

"Right." Yusuke clicked the mirror shut. "I don't know about you guys, but all this demon butt-kicking is making me hungry."

"I'm with you there, Urameshi," Kuwabara said.

"Let's get some food. Kurama? Hiei?" Yusuke said, turning to the demons.

"Hn," Hiei snorted before disappearing.

"I'll take that as a no," Yusuke grumbled. He turned to the red-head.

"Kurama?"

"Sure, why not," the fox said, pulling himself to his feet.

* * *

Kurama yawned as his clock read 2:33 a.m. It was getting harder and harder to stay awake. His mother was beginning to worry again. Dr. Hikari had been by the house the day before as proof. As much as he knew he needed to sleep, he just couldn't bring himself to face the dreams again.

Whenever he thought of the dreams, memories of his fight with Karasu would flash through his head. The helplessness and the anguish he had gone through would come through with such force that he would have to sit down. But it wasn't only the memory of the match that kept him awake; he could feel a dark, foreboding feeling in the corner of his mind whenever he thought about it. Every so often he could swear he could feel a dark presence in his room, but when he investigated further, the feeling would vanish. He passed it off as a fancy due to fatigue. But Hiei was right; avoiding the problem would not solve it.

_Still awake?_

_I could say the same to you, Hiei._

_Hn._ The familiar retort was followed by Hiei perching himself on Kurama's window sill.

"What are you doing here?" Kurama asked, not caring how blunt the question was. Hiei quirked an eyebrow.

"What does it look like?"

"Have you decided I need a babysitter?" Kurama asked in return, raising his own eyebrow.

"Until you face your problem," the fire demon retorted.

"I see."

"Do you?"

"Perhaps better than you think."

"Oh?"

"I won't lie to you, Hiei. I can feel my energy leaking away. I can feel my reflexes slowing because of fatigue. I know I need sleep. And I know I need to face this."

"Then what's stopping you?" Hiei demanded, trying to provoke some kind of response.

"I'm afraid," Kurama said softly.

* * *

Koenma walked into the records department and found the person he was looking for. Botan had files and books open in front of her, papers strewn all about. He made his way to the preoccupied ferry girl's side.

"Botan?" The blue-haired girl jumped in surprise then looked sheepishly at her boss.

"Koenma, Sir."

"Don't you think you're overworking yourself?" he asked gently.

"Of course not," she replied fiercely. "There is a connection between all of these goings-on, and I want to know what it is…"

"Before it's too late," Koenma finished. Botan nodded. "This wouldn't have to do with Hiei's suspicion that the demons were attacking Kurama, would it?"

"I just don't want to see him hurt like that again. I don't know if I could stand it," Botan replied softly, tears suddenly forming in the corners of her eyes.

* * *

Another long and tedious day had passed. Well, there had been another demon attack, but that was becoming rather routine as of late. Kurama put down the book he was reading to check the clock. 2:15 a.m. The red-head rubbed his face in his hands, then picked up his book once more.

He had scarcely read a page when he heard his door open. Frowning, he looked up to see his mother poking her head through the doorway. She blinked when she saw him sitting at his desk.

"Suuichi, you're still awake!" she said worriedly, stepping into the room. Kurama turned to face her.

"I suppose I'm not tired." Shiori frowned.

"You're exhausted."

"I-" Kurama began, but was cut off.

"You're still recovering from your illness, but you seem to be relapsing. Your face is pale, you barely eat, and even your plants are dying." Shiori argued. Kurama hid a grimace. "Dr. Hikari came by again yesterday. He shares my concern."

"I'm fine, Mother. You worry too much."

"I'll stop worrying when I see you back to normal," she countered.

"I-" Kurama stopped himself mid-argument. _The only way to keep her from worrying is play along for the time being._ "What would you have me do?" he asked instead.

"Sleep," Shiori answered immediately. Kurama nodded, trying to act agreeably. She smiled at him. "I'll get you a drink. It will help you sleep." She stood up.

"No! It's alright, Mother. You don't need to-" But Shiori had already left. Kurama groaned to himself. _I'll just have to drink whatever she brings and pretend to sleep, and maybe she'll stop worrying so much. I don't want her to worry herself ill over me._

Several minutes passed before Shiori returned. She held a warm mug in her hands. Kurama frowned at the smell.

"Warm milk with a little brown sugar," she explained. "It's an old family trick. Try it." She handed the mug to Kurama, who dutifully took a sip.

"Not bad," he said, taking another sip. Shiori sat down on Kurama's bed and beckoned her son to join her. Kurama obliged, taking another sip. He returned his mother's smile as he finished off the contents of the mug. Shiori took the empty cup into her own hands.

_Now I just have to pretend to…_ Kurama's vision blurred and he gasped. He could feel his eyelids becoming heavier as he began to feel light-headed. He looked up at his mother through blurred vision.

"Mother, what…?" She smiled sadly at him, tears in her eyes.

"Suuichi, I'm sorry." It hit him as his eyelids began to drop.

"The pills… Dr. Hikari…"

"I really am sorry, Suuichi," Shiori said tearfully.

"It's… alright..." he mumbled as consciousness left him.

* * *

Shiori caught her son's limp form in her arms as the sleeping pills took their effect. She carefully laid him down on his bed and brushed a few strands of red hair from his face.

"I'm sorry, Suuichi," she told her sleeping son. "I don't want to see you ill."

* * *

_Emerald eyes blinked open as Kurama took in his surroundings. Those same emerald orbs widened when the fox realized where he was; he stood opposite Karasu in that dreaded ring. _Oh no._ The crow smirked maniacally at him. _I feel asleep. _The fox willed himself to keep a calm face, even if it was only a façade. He felt the emotionless mask slip into place as it had so many times before. If at all possible, Karasu's smirk widened._

"_Why do you bother, Kurama? You're not fooling anyone with that mask of yours," the crow crooned. The fox suppressed a shiver._

"_I don't try to fool anyone, Karasu. I am what I am," he replied coldly._

"_And what you are is weak," Karasu said. The intensity of the implied threat behind those words caused Kurama to take an involuntary step backwards. A familiar trap sprung from under the concrete, trapping his leg; the same leg as in the Tournament. A shocked and fearful gasp escaped Kurama's lips before he could stop it._

"_I see you remember by Mad Bomb." The bomb exploded against Kurama's skin and his world erupted in a familiar pain. He could feel the warm stickiness of blood flowing from his searing leg. Kurama fell forward with a cry of pain. As he hit the ground, the consistency changed; his hands hit concrete while his head came in contact with dirt._

Not again,_ Kurama thought irritably. Painfully pushing himself to his feet, the fox found himself in a forest. Karasu stood across from him, as usual. Kurama frowned at the choice of scenery. _Why would we be in a forest? I obviously have the advantage here. _Karasu laughed, as if he were reading Kurama's thoughts._

"_You find something amusing?" the fox snapped, trying to hide the pain in his leg and the sudden feeling of dread that had sunk in his stomach._

"_You, Kurama," Karasu answered. "So cold and calculating. Yet…"_

"_Yet?" Karasu shrugged, as if inviting an attack. Without a second thought, a rare action by Kurama, the red-head pulled out a rose, which immediately became his Rose Whip. However, in mid-swing, the whip disappeared. Kurama lost his balance when he realized he was holding only a rose. Eyes wide, the fox looked up at the crow, whose maniacal grin had widened._

"_Oops," Karasu said mockingly. A wave of anger was competing with one of hear in the red-head's heart. Hating to feel weak or vulnerable, especially in front of the crow, Kurama, whose loss of balance had dropped him to a knee, felt his power rise in his body, and put a hand to the ground. He could feel all the plant life in the surrounding area; he directed the vines to wrap around Karasu. However, instead of heading at Karasu, the plants turned on Kurama. He gasped in surprise as he felt vines wrap around his wrists and ankles, bringing him above the ground. He tried to call off the plants, but to no avail. The vines dug painfully into his flesh._

_Unable to keep up the emotionless façade, Kurama felt the mask slip as Karasu slowly and meaningfully approached. Those violet eyes were glinting with an unrivaled bloodlust._

"_The fear in your eyes is beautiful," Karasu said softly, as he stopped in front of his prey, for that was what Kurama had become. "That fear and pain is what gives me power."_

"_Power?"_

"_Of course. Power over you in your own mind." Kurama's eyes widened further. "All the fear in your heart has given me the strength to control your attacks here." Kurama was speechless. The crow was controlling his plants. Karasu traced a finger along Kurama's cheekbone, under his chin, and down his neck. He forced the fox's chin up; a sign of forced submission. The anger in Kurama's heart had long since faded to fear in his helpless position. Digging a nail into Kurama's neck, Karasu drew a small trickle of blood. Kurama bit his lip against the sensation until he felt blood._

_The fear quickly turned to revulsion as he felt Karasu lick the trickle of blood from his neck. With his head forced up, Kurama tried to look away, but Karasu forced his head back down. The blood from his lip became obvious against his now pale skin. Karasu's eyes glinted maliciously as he reached up and licked his tongue on Kurama's chin and lips. Karasu pulled away and looked victoriously at the ensnared fox, then reached back up and kissed him. Kurama was frozen in shock. By the time the crow pulled away, the remaining color in Kurama's face had drained away._

"_You're so beautiful when you're afraid, Kurama," Karasu crooned. "It must be a rare feeling for you. You're always in control of you emotions, so cold and distant; calculating. But to lose control of it all, you've lost your edge. The despair in your eyes is intoxicating." Karasu's smile widened once more. "I told you before that I wanted to place you at my side forever. With just a little more of your fear and pain, I will be able to do just that, my beautiful kitsune."_

"_You're insane," was all Kurama could manage to say._

"_Perhaps. Or perhaps I just know what I want," Karasu replied. The vines suddenly tightened around the fox's wrists and ankles, beginning to draw blood. Karasu stooped over and picked up the rose that Kurama had dropped when he had become ensnared. In his hands, it became the familiar whip Kurama wielded in battle. Between gasps of pain, one of surprise escaped Kurama's lips._

"_I told you I control your attacks here," Karasu said. The crow slowly made his way around to Kurama's back. A cold feeling ran down his spine. Before he could brace himself, he felt the sharp thorns of his own whip come in contact with his back and rip at his skin mercilessly. The fox cried out in agony as the blows continued._

I'm asleep. This is just a dream. Why can't I wake up? _Behind him, Kurama could hear Karasu laughing._

_

* * *

_

Botan sat in the records department, head resting on a book that she had fallen asleep reading. A heart-wrenching cry of agony had jerked her awake. Looking around for a source of the scream, she saw she was alone. Blinking, Botan tried to remember what she had been dreaming. Her eyes widened.

"Kurama!" Immediately, the ferry girl rushed to Koenma's office, afraid of what could be happening to the fox.

* * *

_The blows seemed to continue forever. Kurama knew that his whip was a formidable weapon, ideal for cutting obstacles down, but he had never used it for torture… or had it used against him for torture. He could feel the blood running down his raw back from the continued lashings. Finally, the whip stopped, though he didn't realize it until Karasu appeared once more in front of him. His back hurt too much; the fox's vision blurred against the pain._

"_Now, now, Kurama. Don't pass out on me now," Karasu said maliciously. "If you beg me to stop, I might just listen." If there was one thing Kurama refused to do, it was beg. His demonic pride would not allow it._

"_Go… to… Hell…" he replied tightly instead._

"_I thought you might say that. You've always been so proud," Karasu said. "We'll have to work on that. Nevertheless, the fun can continue." Stepping up to the weakened fox, Karasu put a hand into Kurama's fiery locks and pulled out a seed. Holding it in his hand, it formed into a sword. As it did so, Kurama felt his own energy being used to create the blade. However, the pain was far too much for him to care at the moment. Karasu studied the blade and nodded appreciatively._

"_An old favorite of yours," he said, still looking at it. Smiling widely, he took a stance and charged Kurama. Emerald eyes widened fully in pain as blood began to drip from his mouth. Karasu had stabbed him in the chest, just missing his heart. A final earth-shattering cry of agony escaped him before his world went black once more._

_

* * *

_

Shiori heard the heart-wrenching scream from her son's room and immediately, fearfully, made her way there. Bursting open the door, she could immediately smell… blood. Gasping, she made her way to her son's side.

"Suuichi! Oh, Gods, Suuichi!" There was a hole in his chest and red was quickly draining out of it. The sheets underneath her son were also red. His emerald eyes were slightly open, but not really focusing on anything.

"Suuichi, please, say something!"

"Can't heal it… not enough… energy," he muttered almost inaudibly before his eyes closed.

"Suuichi, please, stay with me!" Shiori cried frantically.

* * *

As Botan hastily explained to Koenma what she had witnessed in her dream, she felt a pang in her heart. She stopped speaking, amethyst eyes going wide, her face draining of color.

"Botan, what is it?" Koenma asked the pale ferry girl.

"It's Kurama. He's… dying." At that moment Ayame came bursting into the office.

"Ayame? What is it?" Koenma asked, turning shakily to the other ferry girl.

"Koenma, Sir. We have a lock on that rogue spectral reading," she said breathlessly.

"Where?" the prince demanded immediately.

"Kurama's bedroom."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I am so sorry this update took so long. I got about six pages in and had the end planned out, but didn't think it was going to be long enough, so I tried to think of something to add, but couldn't come up with anything. So I finally just wrote out the ending that I had planned and it was more than long enough. Hope you liked. Leave me a review and let me know what you thought. They really do wonders for motivation.

_Revised as of 1/3/06_


	7. Slipping

**Author's Note: **A few of the ideas (such as the sleeping pills and the heartbeat thing you see in this chapter) were inspired by Cerulean-Searoach's _Revelation of a Nightmare._ It's an excellent read. Check it out.

**Review Responses:** w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / C h i p p e r l u v a 1 0

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter 7

Slipping

* * *

The fox's blood-curdling cry of agony jolted Hiei's eyes open. He gasped. _Kurama!_ The fire demon silently cursed himself for straying from Kurama's neighborhood this night. He should have known that the longer the fox stayed awake, the more likely it would be for him to succumb to sleep. But, being the proud creature that he was, Kurama had become more and more irritated by Hiei's constant presence. And so, tonight, Hiei had decided to vent his worry about his best friend in a scavenger hunt of sorts throughout the city and its surrounding areas for that spectral reading Koenma kept bringing up.

But, late into the excursion, Hiei had grown weary and picked a tree to rest in. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep and the Jagan had picked up Kurama's agonized cry. Immediately focusing on the source of the scream, the Jagan had shown a pale, bleeding, and unconscious Kurama on his bed while his human mother spoke urgently over the telephone. Once more, Hiei cursed himself. Because Shiori had found Kurama first, Hiei could not go to check up on his friend. Instead, he made a beeline for the next best thing.

Hiei felt he was wasting precious minutes as he sped toward Genkai's temple. That had been a cry of pain unlike Hiei had ever heard from the proud fox. Not even the bombs of Karasu during the Tournament had elicited such a chilling sound. Focusing on Kurama's energy, Hiei was frightened at how quickly it was fading. Filled with worry, the fire demon pushed on.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, Hiei barged through the temple entrance. Much to his surprise, not only was Genkai awake, so was Yukina. Both women looked up at Hiei and blinked.

"Hiei?" Yukina asked tentatively.

"It's Kurama," Genkai said softly, her eyes never leaving Hiei's face. The fire demon gave a short nod.

"He's dying," he said before his eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't meant for those words to pop out. In fact, they seemed new to Hiei as well. Yukina gasped and Genkai paled slightly, but remained calm.

"Where is he now?" the psychic asked. Hiei closed his eyes as the Jagan sought out the fox. Hiei opened his crimson orbs once more with a scowl.

"On the way to a human hospital with his human mother." Genkai grimaced.

"That's bad."

"Obviously," Hiei snorted irritably. "What do we do about it?" Genkai frowned in thought. The fact that Hiei had come here and was civilly, for him, asking for help was not lost on her. It only went to show how concerned Hiei was for his best friend's life, though the fire demon would never admit it. _Friends are just a crutch for the weak,_ he would say, though he would only have been lying to himself.

"Hiei, you should go tell Yusuke and Kuwabara what happened, but tell them to stay put for the time being. It would be suspicious if-"

"If they knew what had happened so soon after it happened," Hiei finished. Genkai nodded.

"Yukina, I want you to come with me. The doctor's won't know what to do with the injuries he may have; not before it's too late, anyway," Genkai said, turning to the ice maiden. She nodded resolutely. Genkai turned back to Hiei.

"I'll know when," the fire demon replied, Jagan glowing. She nodded and headed out the door. Yukina paused in following Genkai and turned to Hiei.

"Hiei, are you alright?" He blinked, taken aback by the question.

"What?"

"Kurama is your best friend, whether you'll admit it or not, and he's been in serious trouble lately. Please, be careful," Yukina said softly. "Kurama lives among humans."

"I know," he said, attempting to make his tone gentle. Yukina nodded and headed out the door.

"I don't want to see him hurt, either," she said at the threshold.

"Right."

* * *

_Kurama lives among humans._ Yukina's words rang through Hiei's head as he sped toward Yusuke's apartment. Yukina knew what kind of effect those words would have upon him and had chosen them carefully. She didn't want any innocent humans to suffer because of this incident. Hiei clenched his jaw. _I hate humans,_ he grumbled irritably to himself as he landed on Yusuke's bedroom balcony. He opened the door and slipped inside. Yusuke lay sleeping on his bed. Hiei suppressed a growl at the Spirit Detective's lack of awareness of his surroundings. Grumbling irritably about his lack of luck, Hiei closed his eyes.

_Detective,_ he snapped impatiently. Yusuke merely grunted in his sleep and turned over. Hiei scowled.

_Detective,_ he snapped again. Yusuke smacked his lips.

"No, I don't want a burger," he muttered sleepily. "Give it to Kuwabara." He groaned and continued to snore. Hiei's patience was running thin, even for him.

_Yusuke, if you don't wake up this instant I will set my Dragon on you, and then Kurama will die._ Yusuke's eyes snapped open and he bolted upright in bed. His eyes found Hiei standing at the end of his bed.

"Hiei? What did you say about Kurama?" he asked, startled.

"He had another dream, but he's far too injured to heal himself with his depleted energy."

"You mean, he's…"

"Dying," Hiei finished grimly.

"What the hell, why are we just standing here then?" Yusuke exclaimed, jumping out of bed. "There has to be something we can do!"

"The only thing you're going to do is contact Kuwabara," Hiei said tersely.

"What?" Yusuke demanded angrily, obviously wanting to do something for Kurama.

"Kurama's mother found him. By now, they are headed to a human hospital." Hiei's voice made his distaste for the situation known. "However, no one else would have known. If you go busting in, there will be questions. Questions we don't need right now."

"But he's…" Yusuke argued.

"You'll put him in a tight spot if he wakes up if you go barging in."

"No ifs, Hiei. Kurama can't die. He's too strong," Yusuke growled at the fire demon.

_I wish I could be so hopeful,_ Hiei thought to himself. "Call Kuwabara," he said instead. "Genkai and Yukina are on their way to the hospital right now." Yusuke paused as he was picking up the phone.

"What happened to questions?" he asked, frowning.

"Genkai is more than capable of answering those types of questions," Hiei returned coolly. "Now call the fool." Yusuke grumbled as dialed the Kuwabara's phone number.

* * *

Shiori sat at her son's side as the ambulance sped toward the hospital. His skin was pale and clammy and he seemed to have innumerable wounds of mysterious origin. The paramedics spoke in hushed hurried tones as they attempted to tend to the wounds. Shiori held her son's hand and watched his labored, uneven breathing. Despite bandaging the wounds, Shiori could tell her son was still losing a lot of blood. Too much blood.

"Is he going to be alright?" Shiori asked one of the paramedics who had stopped rushing about the moving vehicle. He wiped his forehead and looked at the worried mother.

"We're not sure," he replied after a moment. Shiori blanched.

"But there has to be something…" she pleaded.

"We're doing all we can at the moment, but he's losing a lot of blood," the paramedic said. "There's only so much we can do in an ambulance. But even so…"

"What?"

"You have no idea where he got these wounds?" he asked instead. Shiori shook her head.

"No. He had fallen asleep about an hour before I heard him… I heard him scream," she replied shakily.

"And you're sure he was asleep?"

"Yes." She paused, deciding it would be bad to withhold any information from the paramedics. "I gave him sleeping pills because he hasn't been sleeping. His regular doctor prescribed them." She looked up fearfully at the paramedic. "Those couldn't have caused this, could they?"

"We can't rule anything out, but…"

"But?" Shiori's voice was fearful.

"The wounds on his back look like they came from some sort of whip," the paramedic replied slowly. "And the one to his chest looked like a blade."

"But that doesn't make any sense! He was in his bed!"

"Well, whatever the case may be, the wounds are real."

"Please, he's my only son!" Shiori pleaded tearfully. The thought of losing her Suuichi was too painful to bear.

"We're doing our best," the paramedic replied, turning back to the boy's pale form. He checked the heart monitor and frowned. He leaned over Kurama's chest and listened to the heartbeat for a minute before poking his partner. His partner turned around and he pointed to the monitor. He frowned as well.

"Does Suuichi have a heat condition?" he second paramedic asked. Shiori frowned.

"No, why?"

"Because," the fire paramedic replied, "his heart is beating in an unusual pattern."

"But, his injury…?" Shiori trailed off.

"This is something else," the second man said.

"His doctor said he had something like a heart murmur when he was younger. It's never seemed to bother him, though he hasn't been to a doctor in a long time to have it checked," Shiori said softly, unsure of herself.

"I don't think this is a murmur," the first said.

"I have no idea what it is… It doesn't even seem… human," the second added. Shiori looked back and forth from one paramedic to the other, unsure of what to say to such an outrageous accusation.

"Is he alright?" she asked finally. The ambulance stopped and the paramedics opened the door and helped Shiori out.

"He's in good hands," the first said with a forced smile before helping wheel the unconscious boy into the hospital where the doctors were waiting.

_Suuichi!_ Shiori thought tearfully. _I can't lose you!_

_

* * *

_

_It was dark where Kurama was. He felt disconnected from everything, as if he was floating; though there was nothing to float above. It was pitch black. Kurama tried to move his body but found he had none. There was no pain, no feeling, nothing. He was there, but only just. He could feel his connection to the blackness slipping._

Is this dying?_ he wondered. _Then it really isn't so bad.

* * *

Botan flew as fast as her oar would take her to Kuwabara's, for that was where the other three Tantei had gathered. Her thoughts, however, were not on her destination. She could feel Kurama's life slipping away moment by moment.

_Please Kurama, hold on,_ she pleaded silently. _This isn't your time. Not yet. Hold on._

_

* * *

_

_As he felt himself slipping, Kurama heard a plea echoing, as if from a distance. _Please Kurama, hold on,_ it said. _This isn't your time. Not yet, _it continued. _Hold on.

_There was feeling behind these words. There were… tears. This person wanted him to hold on._

It's not… my time?_ The feeling behind the words struck something within the barely existent fox. _I'll hold on,_ he resolved. _I'll hold on.

_But this was easier said than done. Kurama suddenly felt weak, as if all his reserves had been suddenly depleted. It seemed obvious that it would be easier to let go and move on. There was no pain in that. There would be pain if he held on. It would be hard. He hesitated, but the voice came back stronger, the care and concern evident. _Hold on!

_Bracing his nonexistent, weakened self, Kurama tried to hold on. The voice wanted – no, needed him to._

_

* * *

_

Botan reached Kuwabara' front door and knocked, mind still distracted. A moment later, Shizuru answered the door, her face lined with worry as well. She didn't look surprised to see the ferry girl. She merely nodded and opened the door wide enough to let Botan enter. The ferry girl entered and after removing her shoes, made her way to the living room where everyone had gathered. Yusuke and Kuwabara looked up and blinked a moment, as if taking in Botan's presence. Their faces were also grim.

But the most telling of the three Tantei was Hiei. The normally stoic fire demon's mouth was pressed into a thin line; his muscles were rigidly tensed. The fire demon was practically broadcasting his worry about his best friend to the world. But at this point, Botan was caught in her own worry, though, she supposed, if anyone could understand her worry, it would be Hiei; while she could feel Kurama's life fading, Hiei would be able to see it with the Jagan.

"You heard," Yusuke said listlessly. Botan shook her head.

"No." Everyone turned to face her. "I felt it."

"You felt it?" Yusuke asked with a frown, an expression that currently seemed to be creasing his normally care-free features. She nodded.

"As the Grim Reaper, I can feel when strong souls are dying. And since I have a connection with all of you, I could feel when…" She trailed off. Yusuke mutely nodded in understanding.

"And right now?" Shizuru asked. Botan sighed tearfully.

"He's slipping away."

* * *

Shiori sat alone in the waiting room as the doctors tended to her son. It had been an hour since the ambulance had arrived and she had been getting a steady stream of doctors and nurses coming to tell her there had been no progress. No one seemed to be able to come up with a plausible explanation for the source of Suuichi's wounds, and that disturbed Shiori. She knew her son lived something of a second life; he would disappear for days at a time and return like nothing had happened, but with wounds he tried to hide. Though she had no idea what kind of separate life her son lived, she had to wonder if it was related to this incident.

She sighed and hugged her arms around herself. She couldn't help but remember that the last time she had been in a hospital, she had been the patient; the patient with the bleak outlook and Suuichi had been the one worrying over her. But she had recovered. She still wasn't sure how it had happened, though the doctor had attributed it to her strong will to live. Shiori, on the other hand, wasn't so sure that had been what had saved her. It had been more like a miracle than anything. With some unknown certainty backing her, Shiori had been sure that her son had been at the center of that miracle. Pulling back her sleeves to study the scars on her arms, she let out a dry sob. She was supposed to be protecting her son, not the other way around.

Pushing her sleeves back down, Shiori silently prayed for another miracle.

* * *

Realizing how much time it had taken to get to the hospital from her temple (though it had been faster than taking a car), Genkai, followed by Yukina, strode into the medical building. Stopping at the desk, Genkai waited for the receptionist to finish her phone call.

"May I help you?"

"Suuichi Minamino," Genkai said simply. The receptionist frowned as he went through her records. It didn't take long.

"Minamino… he's in surgery right now, in the IC… but he was just brought in an hour ago and his mother is here. How could you have possibly have known…?"

"Don't ask stupid questions," Genkai snapped. She turned to Yukina. "Let's go." The ice maiden, though more tired than Genkai after the sprint to the city, nodded determinedly.

"Wait, you can't…!" But the psychic and koorime had already left. The two walked to the intensive care unit and immediately found the room Kurama was in. The smell of blood was potent. Genkai pushed open the door to hear the doctors' conversation as they attempted to work on the unconscious hybrid.

"I can't get this bleeding to stop!"

"I can't even reach the wound on his chest. If it's not treated soon, the boy will die."

"Do we have those blood tests back yet?"

"No, they're still being done."

"Damn, then we don't know what the mother gave him!"

Yukina looked at Genkai at this. The psychic frowned in return. Then, taking a breath in preparation, Genkai spoke up.

"Unless you want to kill the boy, I suggest you let us take over." The doctors all paused and looked to the two women.

"You can't be here, ma'am," one said. "This is a restricted…"

"Oh shut it. This is a special case that you are not prepared to treat. We are," Genkai snapped.

"And just who are you?" another doctor demanded.

"Genkai," she replied. Several doctors gasped, dropping instruments.

"_The_ Genkai? No!"

"Yes, now let me heal this boy."

"But how did you-"

"Suuichi is a good friend of mine," Genkai replied, mind racing to come up with some explanation to give the doctors so they would get out of the way. "We psychics have mental connections to those we care about. Through that link, I found out about his injuries. However, his body is special and requires help that only we can give so I suggest you step aside and me and my assistant through or he will die." Immediately the doctors stepped aside. Genkai made her way to Kurama's side, followed by Yukina. She gasped inwardly at the sight of his pale, still form and the psychic probed the wounds on the fox's body. Yukina watched on in worried silence.

Opening her eyes, Genkai turned to Yukina. "The wound on his chest missed his heart," Yukina sighed in relief, "but only just barely."

"And?" Yukina asked, noting that the amount of blood the fox had lost could not have come from the chest alone.

"His back," Genkai replied. "Wounds that, eerily enough, resemble whip marks." Yukina gasped.

"But how?" Genkai frowned at Kurama's pale, still form.

"It seems those dreams of his are much more serious than I had anticipated. But right now, we need to keep him alive." Yukina nodded her agreement. The two healers placed themselves on opposite sides of Kurama and began to focus their energy on healing the red-head's wounds.

* * *

None of them had been able to sleep. The Kuwabara's living room had been a silently tense room since about 4:00 that morning. Keiko had arrived around 6:30 when Shizuru had called her at Yusuke's request. Any half-hearted attempt at conversation had quickly died and the anxiousness that had permeated the room had returned.

"We can go over," Hiei said suddenly around 10:00 that morning. Everyone's heads snapped to look at the fire demon.

"Is he alright?" Yusuke asked.

"He's been stabilized," Hiei replied. A collective sigh of relief sounded through the room.

"Then what are we waiting for!" Kuwabara said, jumping to his feet.

"Let's go," Yusuke agreed.

* * *

Shiori walked into the room to where Suuichi had been moved after six agonizing hours of waiting. She had been told around 6:00 that the doctor's had turned over the care of her son to two healers. She had been upset to hear that the doctors had done such a rash thing so quickly, but when they had explained who the healers were, she had felt slightly better. And now that her son had been stabilized, she could afford to wonder how the legendary Genkai was connected to her son. Perhaps, she wondered idly, Genkai was related to that second life that Suuichi lived.

Entering the room, Shiori took in Suuichi's still, pale form on the bed. His chest had been bandaged. Scanning the rest if the room, she saw two women, one elderly who was standing, and one young who was sitting. The younger one stood when she saw Shiori. Shiori hesitantly made her way over to her son's bedside. His face was still ghostly pale, but his breathing was coming more easily and evenly now. She sighed in relief and brushed a strand of red hair from his face. She watched her son for a few moments before turning to the other two in the room.

"You must be Genkai," she said to the elderly woman.

"I am."

"You saved my son," Shiori said. "I don't know how I can thank you."

"Don't thank us yet," Genkai replied.

"What?"

"He's not out of the woods yet."

"But…"

"He's lost a lot of blood and the wounds refuse to close completely," the younger woman replied. Shiori turned to her.

"This is Yukina," Genkai introduced. Yukina bowed slightly to Shiori. Shiori returned the gesture. "She helped me greatly in healing Suuichi."

"Thank you," Shiori repeated.

"As we've said, he's not out of the woods yet. It all depends on him right now," Genkai replied.

"Will he be okay?" Shiori asked worriedly. "He looks better."

"But not completely. Only time will tell. But for now, he's stabilized," Genkai explained.

"I…" Shiori began.

"You should really get some rest," Yukina cut in softly, taking in Shiori's disheveled appearance. "You've been here for a long time. He'll be alright if you go and get a few hours of sleep."

"I don't know…" Shiori began, though truthfully she was exhausted. Now that her son had been stabilized, the worry that had kept her awake was beginning to fade.

"If anything changes, we'll call," Genkai said. "You won't be doing him any good by exhausting yourself."

"I suppose you're right. I am tired…" she said. "I've just been so worried," she sighed.

"We'll call, I promise," Genkai said. Shiori nodded. She looked down at her son again, hesitant to leave his side.

"I do have a question, though."

"What's that?"

"How did you meet my son?" Genkai's eye twitched slightly.

"Through a mutual friend," she replied.

"I see." She paused, watching her son. Suuichi still looked pale and sickly. "He's so still," she whispered. "I don't know, something seems off."

"It's up to him now," Yukina repeated gently. "There's really nothing you can do."

"Get a few hours of sleep," Genkai said, giving Shiori a small smile as she led her to the door. "Suuichi isn't the only one who should be worried about his health."

"All right. Thank you."

* * *

Yusuke, Kuwabara, Shizuru, Keiko, and Botan walked into the hospital. Hiei had chosen to stay outside and away from all the 'disgusting humans.' Naturally, he would find a conveniently placed window and see everything that went on. Genkai stood in the reception area; she waited for the group to reach her.

"Come on," she said, beckoning them to follow her. They remained silent as they made their way deeper into the hospital. They exchanged anxious glances as the noise of the hospital became an ominous quiet. Finally, they stopped in front of a closed door. The name on the outside read, 'Minamino'. Genkai opened the door and let the five walk in ahead of her. Five gasps were heard slightly behind one another as they saw the pale form on the bed.

Botan immediately rushed to the bedside. Yusuke and the others followed, surrounding the bed. Genkai closed the door behind her and made her way to stand next to Yukina, giving the others room.

"Kurama…" Yusuke whispered in shock. He had not been expecting to see his friend so pale and vulnerable.

"He's so pale," Keiko added.

"And weak," Kuwabara supplemented.

"And still," Botan finished. Her normally smiling face had lost its color at the sight of the red-head. His skin seemed especially pale against his fiery red locks. His breathing was coming very slowly; his chest was barely rising and falling. The group watched the still form of their friend for several moments, the many monitors he was hooked up to making the only sounds in the room. Finally, Yusuke turned and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Yukina looked startled.

"Yusuke!" Keiko called worriedly. Genkai turned with a sad sigh and followed the boy into the hallway.

Yusuke was sitting on the floor, back against the wall and head between his knees. Genkai kneeled in front of her pupil.

"Yusuke…"

"I… I wasn't ready for that," he whispered.

"I doubt any of us were," his mentor replied.

"He was so pale. So still. I… I've never seen him so vulnerable. It just doesn't seem right."

"No. It doesn't." Yusuke looked up at his teacher, tears in the corners of his eyes.

"He's always been the strong one; the calm one. He's always been there when there's trouble. But now, he's the one in trouble. I just can't take it."

"I'm sorry, Yusuke. But there's nothing you can do right now. It's all up to Kurama now," Genkai said softly.

"Will he make it?" Yusuke asked.

"I don't know," Genkai replied honestly.

* * *

_Gradually, Kurama felt his surroundings solidify. He felt himself touch the ground as the darkness began to recede. Kurama blinked. He had a body again. The weakness that had afflicted him receded slightly. Looking around, he took in his surroundings. He stood in the meadow, a forest rising up in the background. _What? Where am I?

"_Don't you recognize it?" Kurama turned slowly at the sound of that coldly familiar voice. Karasu stood across from him, a smile playing at his lips._

"_Should I?" Kurama replied coldly._

"_I would think so. It is your mind, after all," Karasu replied._

"_My… mind?" For once, Kurama was startled into speechlessness._

"_Yes. This is your mind. But for you to get out and return to your body, you have to defeat me. A task which you seem unable to complete," Karasu replied, a smirk emerging on his face._

"_To return to my body, all I have to do is kill you? Fair enough," Kurama said._

"_That's all, my kitsune," Karasu crooned._

"_And if I can't kill you?"_

"_Your mind, and all else, will become mine."_

_

* * *

_

**Author's Note:** It took a little longer than I was planning to get this out, so I apologize. Most of it turned out well, so yay for that. Leave me a review and I'll be working on the next chapter.

_Revised as of 1/4/06_


	8. Mind Games

**Review Responses:** w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / C h i p p e r l u v a 1 0

**Warning: **Some moderately graphic stuff going on around the middle.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho. Did you really think differently?

* * *

Chapter 8

Mind Games

* * *

"_And if I don't kill you?"_

"_Your mind, and all else becomes mine," Karasu crooned._

"_That won't happen," Kurama snapped, surprising even himself._

"_So confident. Your pride is another appealing thing about you, Kurama," the crow said. "And soon, you will be mine. Finally." Kurama opened his mouth to object but Karasu cut him off. "Think of the condition your body is in. You haven't been sleeping; you're exhausted. You're out of energy before we even begin. And even if you could use your energy, I can control your attacks, remember?" He smirked. "In fact, my strength has increased so much that I can use your attacks even when you're not. So you see, it's useless to fight. Your fate has been sealed, my kitsune."_

"_It's never useless," Kurama argued, sounding more like Yusuke than he felt. He felt the weight of fear settling in his stomach. "Just because the odds are against me doesn't mean I'll back down."_

"_The proud Youko Kurama," Karasu sighed wistfully, as if caressing the name. "I'll enjoy breaking you."_

"_You can't break me," Kurama replied snappishly. In truth, that was precisely what he was afraid of. He hoped that if he could keep the crow talking something would come to him. However, all he had succeeded in doing was distracting himself._

"_But I can. See what the mere shadow of me has done to you?" Karasu retorted triumphantly. "A few more sessions like last time," Kurama unconsciously gripped at his chest, "and you will be mine; in body, mind, and soul." A maniacal grin erupted on Karasu's pale face. "I will enjoy playing with all three." A shiver ran down Kurama's spine. "But enough talk. Let's settle this."_

"_Yes." Immediately, Kurama felt Karasu's energy begin to increase drastically. Realizing attacking would be futile, the fox did the only thing he could; he ran. The sounds of Karasu's laughter rang in his ears. A forest drew nearer as the fox ran with the grass of the meadow flattening underneath Kurama's feet. He was having an impossible time of getting his thoughts together._

_Just as Kurama thought he was home free into the forest, he felt something grab his leg. Unable to keep his balance after the sudden stop, the red-head fell ungracefully to the ground. Grimacing in pain, he looked up to see what had ensnared him and bit back a curse; there was a vine wrapped around his ankle._

"_Trapped, Kurama?" Karasu's voice rang out. "I must say, your abilities work well for many different things." The voice seemed to be getting closer. Snapping out of his shock, Kurama urged the plant to recede enough to slip his foot through before Karasu forced it to shut once more. Sighing in relief at the close call, Kurama stood up and began to run again._

"_You're only delaying the inevitable," Karasu taunted. "The end will be the same no matter what. But these games are fun."_

_Doing his best to block the crow out, Kurama continued to run. Entering the forest, the fox slowed. Years of experience told him not to leave a trail, but blind fear and instinct told him to run as fast as he could away from the threat. Slowing to a walk, Kurama studied the plants around him. He could set traps for Karasu if the crow were to follow. The fox shook his head. No, Karasu was able to manipulate the plants now and his power grew stronger from attacks Kurama attempted. Planning an ambush would only cause him problems._

"_You're right, Kurama. There is nothing you can do," Karasu's cold voice echoed through the forest. "Make things easier and submit."_

_Kurama continued to push through the forest, though he could swear the voice was continuing to get closer. _There has to be something I can do. There's always something,_ Kurama told himself. _Think!_ Looking up, he realized he had reached the edge of the forest. Passing the final line of trees, Kurama came face to face with another green expanse that surrounded a small pond. The peace and quiet of the land seemed to mock the fox's troubles._

_Looking around, Kurama saw no sign of Karasu. Against his better judgment, the fox made his way to the edge of the pond and studied his reflection in the water. His skin was ghostly pale and his normally far-away, deep emerald eyes danced with fear and pain. The weakness of his appearance suddenly flared a wave of anger in Kurama. He punched his reflection in frustration, which only caused the water to ripple. He groaned. What was happening to him?_

"_It's getting to you, isn't it?" a familiar voice said softly from behind. Kurama froze as his heart began to race. Rising slowly, Kurama turned to face the crow. Karasu stood at the edge of the forest leaning against a tree. "Forgive me for disturbing your train of thought," he said, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. Kurama shuddered involuntarily at the repeat of the words the crow had uttered during their match in the Dark Tournament. Amusement danced amongst the lust in Karasu's violet eyes._

_The crow began to walk towards the prone fox. Kurama felt a slight fluctuation in Karasu's power before he felt the familiar white hot pain of the crow's bombs detonating next to his skin. Kurama gasped in pain and grabbed his now bleeding and searing left arm._

"_I believe that was the first mark I hit during out match," Karasu said thoughtfully. "I suppose that would make the second…" Kurama cried out as the bomb detonated against his right leg. His balance was precarious now, due to the injury to his dominant leg._

"_Let's continue to fun," Karasu said, forming an invisible object in his hand._

_

* * *

_

Botan sat by Kurama's bedside, watching the shallow breathing of the fox. Kuwabara sat with Yukina, holding her hand in his in a comforting fashion. Hiei sat in the window with his eyes closed while Genkai sat on the floor against the wall. Yusuke was pacing up and down the room as Shizuru and Keiko returned from the coffee machine. They each took a seat on either side of Genkai. The group had been at Kurama's side almost non-stop for the last two days, leaving only when Shiori arrived, and then usually staying in the waiting room. There had been no change in the fox's condition during this time. Kurama was comatose.

Suddenly the heart monitors began to beep at a much faster pace as Kurama's heart rate began to race. Everyone turned, wide-eyed to the still form on the bed. A moment passed when the smell of blood became noticeable. The group gasped when a wound appeared on his upper left arm.

"What the hell?" Yusuke demanded in shock. Hiei's eyes opened.

"He's dreaming." Everyone turned to the fire demon, then back to Kurama as the smell of blood became stronger. "His leg." Botan immediately pulled back the covers to reveal blood seeping through Kurama's pant leg. She gasped.

"Genkai, Yukina!" she said hurriedly. "He's bleeding badly."

Yukina immediately stood and made her way to Kurama's side. Focusing her energy, she attempted to close and heal the wounds. However, they seemed to be rejecting her healing. Steeling herself, the ice maiden put all her energy into at least stopping the bleeding. But as she managed to do so for the first wound, another wound appeared. The skin was seared. She gasped.

"These wounds, they look familiar," she said slowly.

"The same as from the Dark Tournament finals," Botan agreed, her eyes widening.

"Karasu's bombs," Hiei confirmed. Botan turned to him.

"Can't you do anything, Hiei? You have the Jagan!"

"It's taking all I have just to observe from a distance," he replied irritably. "Karasu, or whoever is attacking his mind, had blocked it off from outsiders."

"Oh," Botan relented softly, turning back to the still red-head. "He just looks like he's in pain."

* * *

_Gritting his teeth against the pain, Kurama forced his legs to work as he fled from the crow. He could feel the searing wounds on his body; the pain was causing his vision to swim drunkenly in front of him. He had used the last of his power to summon a vine to entangle the crow. The precious time it took Karasu to urge the plant off of him was time Kurama was using to escape. However, he wasn't able to move very quickly due to the wounds he had received. All he could do was limp as fast as he could and hope he put enough distance between himself and the crow._

"_That was a nice little trick, Kurama. But I'm afraid it wasn't good enough." Kurama gasped when Karasu suddenly appeared in front of him. Another gasp escaped his throat when a forest appeared at his back. He didn't need to turn to feel the power that radiated from it._

"_What?"_

"_I told you, Kurama, your pain and fear give me strength. Your entire essence is fear and pain at this moment. Thus, I have the strength to make my will happen," Karasu replied. "And now," he said, "I want to play some more."_

_A hiss of pain escaped Kurama's lips as he felt vines wrap around his ankles and wrists, pulling his battered body back, suspending him between to trees. _Not again!

"_Is this feeling familiar, my kitsune?" Karasu crooned. "It should be. This was, after all, your greatest nightmare." A rose appeared suddenly in Karasu's hands, which instantaneously became the familiar whip. Emerald eyes widened. _No!_ But the despair in his heart was becoming too much._

"_I see why you favor this weapon now," the crow said, moving slowly around the fox. "It's so elegant, yet," he snapped the whip, lashing Kurama on the back causing the fox the cry out, "sharp." Another lash and another scream, followed by another. The process repeated itself for what seemed like eternity. Kurama could not find a focus due to the intense pain. Tears of pain leaked from emerald orbs as he began to taste blood in his mouth. Suddenly, there was a voice in his ear._

"_I told you it was useless to fight. I told you it would all turn out the same in the end. And now, I've won." Somehow, through all the agony, Kurama felt the urge to resist._

"_You… haven't… won… yet," he hissed through the excruciating pain. His vision blurred and his head spun with the effort to speak. Karasu growled._

"_Why do you still resist? It's over!" He lashed at Kurama with the whip again and the fox screamed._

"_Because," he gasped through his spinning head, "there is…still…breath… in my… body."_

"_I see," Karasu said softly. Suddenly and miraculously the vines retracted and the pale and wracked form of Kurama fell to the ground._

"_Why?" Kurama grimaced in spite of himself. Karasu knelt next to the fox._

"_I plan to break you, Kurama. I once told you I would place you at my side forever. I still plan to do that. I will give you this last chance to resist. But once that futile attempt has failed, you will be mine," Karasu hissed softly. "One last chance." And with that, the crow vanished. Kurama barely had time to register this before his vision swam dizzyingly and became black._

_

* * *

_

The heart monitor that had been going crazy for the last day and a half suddenly quieted. It took a moment for those in the room to realize what had happened. Genkai immediately made her way to the fox's side. She feared the strain on his heart might have finally become too much for his human body.

"It's a little too slow," Botan whispered, referring to the heart rate.

"He blacked out," Hiei said.

"What?" Yusuke asked, frowning.

"He's already unconscious," Kuwabara added, equally confused.

"As evidenced by his other dreams," Hiei said irritably, "his consciousness is somehow transferred to the part of himself that exists in the dreams."

"It's like his spirit completely exists inside his mind during these dreams," Botan added. Kuwabara and Yusuke nodded in understanding.

"Did I not just say that?" Hiei muttered darkly.

"Why did he black out?" Yukina asked quietly.

"Pain." A collective intake of breath was heard at the pronouncement.

"Will he…?" Kuwabara asked, unable to finish the question. _Will he wake up?_ he wanted to ask.

"Yes."

A crash was heard as Yusuke punched the wall. "Damnit!" he growled. "I hate feeling so helpless."

"Yusuke…" Keiko said softly, reaching out a hesitant hand. He shook it off.

"I need some air," he said, stalking out of the room. Everyone exchanged glances.

"I'll go," Botan said, managing to pry herself from Kurama's side on her own for the first time. As she left the room, she immediately knew where she was going. Opening the roof door, she found the Spirit Detective leaning over the railing. Slowly, she made her way next to him and leaned on the railing as well. Yusuke stared out over the city for awhile before speaking.

"This was where I first _really_ met Kurama. Remember?" he said.

"Yes. He had the Forlorn Hope," Botan replied, thinking back to that time that seemed a lifetime earlier.

"He had it because he wanted to save his mother."

"He was going to give up his life to do it. But you saved him," the ferry girl recalled. Yusuke blinked.

"And now we go back to the same place and all I can think about is saving him again. But this time, there's nothing I can do," he said bitterly.

"It's up to him this time," Botan agreed.

"I just can't stand feeling so helpless when he's in trouble."

"I know, Yusuke. But Kurama's strong."

"I know."

"He'll be okay. You'll see," Botan told the Spirit Detective, though she wasn't so sure herself. Since the fox had 'blacked out,' his life force was feeling much weaker. _Be strong Kurama. We need you,_ she told the comatose kitsune mentally. _I need you,_ she added hesitantly.

* * *

_The darkness of his vision began to lighten slightly as words rang through Kurama's head. _Be strong Kurama. We need you._ Haze greeted the fox at this. _We? Who is…_ Suddenly, an image of Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei flashed through his head. _I see._ The haze began to clear. _I need you._ A vision of a certain blue-haired ferry girl entered his mind. _Botan? _This urging snapped the red-head's eyes open. Blinking against the sunlight, he realized he was in the same spot he had last remembered before blacking out. He felt slightly stronger than before._

_Bracing himself, Kurama slowly pushed himself to his feet. He swayed slightly as his vision swam in front of him, but the pain was more of a dull ache than anything else. He looked at his body and realized he was covered in blood; his own blood. Kurama sighed. Today he was going to finish this, one way or another, but he would not do it with any sign of weakness. He made his way slowly to the pond he had run from earlier; how much earlier he didn't know. He had no idea how long he had been out._

_As he washed the dried blood from his skin and clothing, he somehow knew that he did not have to worry about Karasu surprising him. The crow wanted to finish this decisively, so would wait until Kurama was ready. Only then could the fight truly be settled. Finally the wounds were cleaned. Sighing, Kurama rose. It was time._

"_So Kurama, you're ready to face defeat," Karasu said from behind._

"_I'll face whatever comes," Kurama replied coolly, slowly turning around. His tone was more detached than he felt._

"_That proud aloofness of yours is becoming irksome," Karasu said, though his eyes danced with amusement. Standing across from the crow, Kurama's thoughts were racing madly. _There has to be something I can do. He can control my plant, so attacking like that would be futile. Hand to hand? No, I've tried that before. Then what? If perhaps I could force him into a path where the plants would attack him instead of me? But that would only work if he used the plants… and specific ones at that. Damnit!

"_It's rather hopeless, isn't it?" the crow said. Kurama paled slightly, though he did his best to keep his face schooled. "As fun as it is to watch your mind work furiously leading you to the conclusion that I had already given you, it's time to finish this." Kurama could suddenly feel plant life being manipulated around him; realizing there was nothing he could do at this point, the fox ran. Karasu laughed._

"_The proud Youko Kurama resorts to running from an enemy. How wonderfully delicious!"_

_Running, Kurama could feel the wounds from earlier protesting. _I have to keep pushing,_ he told the searing limbs. _Please hold out._ The flat expanse of land gave the fox plenty of room to run. _It's times like these I wish I could resort back to fox form,_ he thought bitterly._

"_Keep running, Kurama. I will catch you; like a cat catches a mouse or a dog catches a fox," Karasu laughed. The voice didn't seem to be coming from very far away. "And then I will break you." This only spurred Kurama to run faster, despite his body's protests. However, a sudden dip in the ground caused the fox to lose his balance and the distance he had gained on the crow. As Kurama righted himself, Karasu came within arm's reach._

_Karasu lunged forward but Kurama dropped into a roll, limbs aching painfully. The dull ache escalated intensely. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes from the pain. Coming out of his roll, Kurama pushed himself to a spring, his tunic flailing behind him. But it was his tunic that cost him. Karasu grasped at the cloth, catching it. Kurama lost his balance as Karasu spun the fox toward him. He gasped as Karasu kicked his feet out from under him. The fox's head made contact with the ground and his vision blurred. Karasu pinned the red-head's hands down on either side of his head, his hands gripping Kurama's wrists tightly. The crow straddled Kurama's waist._

_Karasu's violet eyes danced with victory. He leaned down by the captive red-head's ear and whispered, "I win." Kurama suddenly felt numb as Karasu licked his neck. "Body, mind, and soul," he whispered, biting down on that familiar spot. Kurama's face had gone pale as he realized what had happened. He had lost. Emerald eyes stared past the form on top of him, watching the sky sightlessly._

_Karasu sat up, licking Kurama's blood lustfully from his lips, still straddling the fox's lithe form. "I think I'll play with your body first," the crow said triumphantly. The fox dimly felt something within him shatter. What did it matter? He had lost._

_Sticking out a long, pale nail, the crow ripped the top of Kurama's tunic open, exposing the well-defined chest and abdomen. Violet eyes lit up. He traced the nail up and down Kurama's chest, drawing blood. Kurama grimaced out of instinct, though his mind had gone strangely blank. He barely felt the warm of Karasu's tongue licking the blood that he had drawn._

"_The power," Karasu gloated drunkenly. "The despair is most intoxicating." Leaning over Kurama's face, he whispered, "I told you I would break you. The proud Youko Kurama has been broken." He bent down and pressed his lips to Kurama's, then bit down. The pain seemed distant to Kurama; his mind seemed to be shattering with every violation of his body. Karasu lovingly stroked a pale finger down Kurama's cheekbone, down to his chest, to his belt. _

"_Ah, my kitsune. You are mine."_

_Suddenly, as if a movie had switched on inside of his head, Kurama saw the faces of his friends: Yusuke, Hiei, Kuwabara, then Genkai, Keiko, and Shizuru, then his mother, and finally, Botan. She was speaking to him. _Be strong Kurama. We're all here. They need you,_ she said as his teammates' images took on more definition. _She needs you._ The image of his mother came forward. _I need you,_ she said as she came into focus once more. _Be strong!_ This seemed to ignite something in his soul. Things began to click in his mind, as if coming back together. His eyes focused again, and he came face-to-face with Karasu. He was suddenly filled with a deep anger and disgust. The fear melted into hatred. He wanted nothing more than to get this creature off him. Every fiber of his being seemed to concentrate on his. Karasu suddenly blinked at the fire in his emerald eyes._

"_Get off!" Kurama cried. With a gust of power, the crow was thrown off the fox and back fifty feet, rolling when he hit the ground. Blinking, Kurama forced himself to a sitting position. It hadn't occurred to him in his numb state that Karasu had not been holding down his arms for awhile now. Kurama pushed himself to his feet, swaying from pain induced dizziness._

"_I told you that you wouldn't break me, Karasu," Kurama growled, ignoring the protests from his body. "You don't own me!" Karasu glared back at the fox._

"_How did you do that?" he demanded. Kurama blinked, realizing he wasn't sure. After a moment, it hit him._

"_Because I was no longer afraid," the fox replied forcefully. "This is my mind. It is my territory. You only have power when I am afraid and surrender control. When I am not afraid, I have control here." Emerald eyes narrowed. "It's over Karasu. I am no longer afraid. Not here. This is my mind and I set the rules!" Karasu blinked, suddenly looking uncertain. Kurama shed the torn top of his tunic._

"_You can't," Karasu said, sounding slightly nervous. "I control your attacks." As if to prove his point, a razor sharp vine erupted from the grass and headed straight for Kurama's heart._

"_Not anymore," Kurama hissed. The vine immediately changed directions; Karasu dodged just in time, though the plant left a red scratch on his pale cheek._

"_Now," Kurama continued as Karasu pulled himself to his feet, "I require energy." Immediately, the fox was enveloped in a warm, light feeling as all his energy returned. Karasu watched in morbid fascination. "While this should be enough to finish this, I'll take it one step further." Red hair lengthened and became silver as two fox ears sprouted from his head. His body became stronger and his energy capacity increased and filled. Emerald became gold as the torn yellow tunic became the legendary white robes of Youko Kurama. Flexing his fingers, Kurama shook his long tail. Karasu blanched._

"_No," he whispered._

"_In my mind," Youko's deep voice growled, "I set the rules." The fox bared his fangs. "I can take whatever form I choose." Reaching into his long, silver hair, he pulled out a seed. In an instant he held his Rose Whip. Golden eyes studied the whip and, in a flash, lashed Karasu directly across the chest. The crow's face contorted in pain as a bloody gash appeared._

"_Arrogant bastard," Karasu growled at Youko's smirk. The anger turned to surprise as vines sprang up from the ground and wrapped around his legs. Kurama could feel Karasu attempting to control the plants. With a surge of power, he forced the crow back._

"_This is my mind!" he growled. "I will not lose it again!" The vines tightened angrily around Karasu and he hissed in pain. In his demon form, Kurama could see Karasu attempting to form bombs to break his bondage. Focusing on these bombs, Kurama forced the bombs away from the vines. They exploded against Karasu's chest. It was the first time he had ever heard the crow cry out in pain. It was oddly satisfying. When the smoke cleared, Karasu was looking at Kurama with wide eyes._

"_How?"_

"_I did what you did, Karasu. When I don't let my fear overcome me, I have complete control." The deep voice turned to a growl. "Time to end this."_

_Kurama summoned all the power his youko form could muster, while feeling Karasu do the same. For a moment, golden eyes locked on violet. There was an unspoken agreement and the two demons simultaneously attacked. Kurama called forth the same plant he had during the Dark Tournament to drain Karasu's life while Karasu brought his most powerful bombs forth. In a showcase of pure strength, Kurama overpowered the bombs with his plant. The bombs split in two, exploding on either side of the blood-sucking plant._

"_Die," Kurama growled as the plant charged its prey._

"_You first," the crow hissed. As the plant hit Karasu squarely in the chest Kurama felt a searing pain in his right arm and then his head. As the plant sucked the life from Karasu, Kurama cried out in pain. Unable to keep control, the fox's demon form fell back to his red-headed form. His head spinning in pain, Kurama fell to his knees and blacked out._

_

* * *

_

The first thing he felt was pain in his chest, in his head, in his arm, and everywhere else. Forcing the pain to the back of his mind, he heard voices above him – and a hand in his. Everything was hazy to the half-conscious fox. The voices were so soft he couldn't make them out through the fog in his mind.

"It feels stronger," a female voice was saying from next to him.

"Are you sure?" a male voice asked.

"I'm sure," the first voice replied firmly.

"His vitals seem slightly stronger," a second male voice said, this one rough.

"He still looks pale," a second, softer, female voice said.

"His spirit feels stronger," the first female voice repeated, slightly heatedly.

Suddenly the voices were recognizable. The haze began to dissipate. Mustering all the strength he had, which wasn't much at this point, Kurama opened his eyes; it took a moment for everything to come into focus. When it did, Kurama firstly took in the sight of his friends. It had been them speaking. Realizing they all seem distracted, he looked around the room. The white cleanliness gave away that fact that it was a hospital room.

"It's been ages, Botan," Yusuke was saying bitterly. "You could just be wishing he felt stronger." Before Botan could fire a reply at the irate Spirit Detective another voice, this one from behind, cut in.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Hiei said with a slight smirk in his voice. "He's awake." Immediately, all the heads turned to the bed and seven sets of eyes widened.

"Kurama!" Yusuke exclaimed, the first to regain his voice.

"You're awake!" Kuwabara echoed.

"Working on it anyway," Kurama replied with some effort, though he did his best to smile.

"We were so worried," Yukina said from her seat next to Kuwabara.

"Sorry to have worried you," the red-head said softly. Genkai snorted.

"Don't apologize," she said.

"Genkai and Yukina have been doing their best to look after you," Botan said softly. Kurama turned his head and saw the blue-haired girl sitting next to him, relief dancing in her amethyst eyes. The fox suddenly realized it had been her hand in his. A sudden warmth seemed to spread through him.

"I see. Thank you," he told the women. Both nodded slightly. He frowned. "How long have I been out?"

"A week, anyway," Shizuru replied.

"Really?" This surprised Kurama, though, he realized, time moved differently in reality than in dreams.

"Your mother was here until about an hour ago," Genkai said suddenly, changing the subject. "She's been here a lot, but I sent her home to get some sleep."

"Thank you," Kurama said softly, appreciating the gesture. Genkai gave him a small smile. Looking around again, a thought hit him. "How did I get to the hospital?"

"Your mother found you after your last dream," Hiei replied, sliding into the room for the first time. Kurama blinked. _The one with the whip,_ Hiei said mentally, answering the unspoken question. Kurama paled slightly though, because he was already so pale, no one but Hiei noticed. "She immediately called the hospital and had you brought here."

"Realizing the doctors weren't prepared to deal with a demon, Hiei came to me," Genkai narrated. "Yukina and I immediately came and took over for the doctors." She smirked slightly. "They've been deferring to me on you since; a good thing after they read your pulse and did a blood test."

"Oh no," Kurama said, realizing where this was going. The demon heart did not function like a human's, and though his body was human, it had taken on several demonic characteristics to deal with its new host. His heart beat more like a demon heart now; his blood had also taken on characteristics of demon blood so it could support all the energy (demon energy at that) that he had. Naturally, the blood test would come back looking like he had some rare or unknown disease or something of the sort.

"They thought your coma was caused by some new disease after the blood test, but I was able to convince them they had done it wrong," the psychic explained.

"And she had Hiei replace your blood sample with a sample of mine," Kuwabara said with a smile. "When they 'did the test again,' they got one-hundred percent pure human blood and couldn't explain it."

"So they decided to leave you in my care," Genkai finished.

"All of this trouble for me?" Kurama was dumbstruck at the care his friends had taken for him.

"Of course," Yusuke said, making it sound like the most obvious thing in the world. "We care about you." Moved to speechlessness, Kurama merely nodded. Genkai stood up.

"I told the doctors I would inform them if there was a change," she said. "And you have a lot of wounds, from the dreams I suppose, that Yukina and I were unable to treat fully. You'll need to gather your strength to do it on your own." Kurama nodded, suddenly feeling exhausted. Yusuke and the others rose as well, while Hiei went back to the window.

"We'll be back later," Yusuke said, heading to the door, an arm around Keiko's shoulders. Kurama nodded gratefully. Watching his friends leave, he realized Botan had left his side.

"Botan!" he said suddenly. She stopped and turned to him. "Please, wait a minute?" She nodded and returned to her seat next to him.

"What is it, Kurama?" she asked gently. Kurama blinked and suddenly realized he didn't know what he wanted to say. After a few moments, he spoke.

"Would you stay? Just for a little while?" She grinned.

"Of course."

"Thank you," he said softly, feeling her soft hand slip into his as he drifted into a mercifully dreamless sleep.

* * *

Botan watched the red-head as he fell back asleep. Seeing him awake had stirred something in her heart. She suddenly realized she didn't know what she would do if Kurama had died. She blinked and looked back at the fox. _Where did these feelings come from?_

_

* * *

_

Another week passed, during which Kurama spent resting to regain his energy and healing the wounds he had received during his dreams. Since that confrontation a week prior, the fox had had no dreams whatsoever. It had taken most of the energy he had recovered to close the most serious of the wounds. While he recovered more energy, the wounds would have to heal the normal way. He had spent the most effort on the wounds that could be visible despite clothing, attempting to keep them from scarring. However, he knew his limits.

While he had been unconscious, Genkai and Yukina had been unable to do much with his wounds because his body had gone into a defensive mode. It was a trick he had learned while living in Demon World. While he was defenseless, it was as if his body was warded against all others; for awhile it had been set to allow Kuronue through for medical attention, but when the bat had died, Kurama had not reset his defenses to allow others near him when he was defenseless. While it did not keep others from physically touching him, it blocked his body from others' energy. Even now, while his energy was low, it kept the others from healing him, as he did not have the strength to change his body's defenses.

Botan had stayed by his side the whole time, leaving only when Kurama wanted some time alone with his mother. Shiori had felt horrible and had immediately apologized to her son for giving him those pills without his permission. Kurama, while knowing the pills had been an impetus for these latest dreams, did not hold any anger. She hadn't known and he would have fallen asleep eventually anyway.

His friends had been visiting quite often as well and he had a steady stream of well-wishers from his school. Many of the girls gave Botan jealous looks when they saw her holding hands with the red-head. In truth, Kurama had asked her to do so as a favor so he might get a little peace to rest and she had been quick to agree.

At night, often when Botan had fallen asleep, Hiei would come in through the window to keep the recovering fox company. The fire demon's presence had been comforting. Not only was it nice to have his best friend nearby, Kurama feared, and Hiei secretly agreed, that some demons might find out about his prolonged weakness and try to take advantage of it. Hiei's presence prevented any such occurrence.

Finally, Genkai had pronounced the fox ready to leave; the doctor's were, though shocked at Kurama's recovery, close behind in agreement. That day, Shiori and Botan helped Kurama home, where his friends had promised to come by later. Shiori offered to stay home, but Kurama had shaken his head.

"You can't afford to take any more time off, Mother. The hospital bill is not going to be cheap. You don't need to worry. I'll be right here when you get home."

"That's right," Botan had added. "I'll take good care of him. Besides, Genkai will be over after awhile." Shiori had relented to her son's logic and had gone to work, though still overly concerned about him. After awhile of sitting on the couch making idle talk, Kurama turned to Botan.

"Would you like to go for a walk?" Botan frowned.

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I know a nice garden a little ways from here. Gardens always relax me when I need it," he replied. He noticed her concern had yet to fade. "You can tell Yusuke and the others to meet us there if you're worried."

"Alright," Botan finally agreed. After making a few calls, the two headed out, though much slower than Kurama normally would have gone.

Kurama and Botan walked slowly through the garden. Kurama sighed contentedly as he took in the flora. His mind and heart felt at ease among his beloved plants. Botan watched the fox out of the corner of her eye, smiling at his relaxed countenance. It was good to finally see him happy again. Reaching a bench, the two sat down. They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Finally, Kurama turned to the ferry girl.

"Botan," he began, searching for words.

"Yes?"

"I… I just wanted to thank you," Kurama said after a moment.

"Thank me?" Botan asked, bewildered. "For what?" Kurama smiled one of his heart-stopping smiles.

"For all you've done for me," he replied. "You helped me back then."

"What? How?"

"I… I had given up hope. But I heard your voice. You pulled me back out of it and gave me strength."

"I did that?" Kurama's smile widened slightly.

"Yes. And I just wanted to say thank you." Hesitating for only a moment, the red-head leaned in a pecked the ferry girl on the cheek. "Thank you." It was Botan's turn to smile.

"I saw that, fox boy." Kurama and Botan looked up to see Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hiei coming up the path. Both parties flushed slightly, much to the Spirit Detective's amusement. Kurama was about to retort when a familiar energy hit his consciousness. The other Tantei sensed it as well. But before anything could be said there was a searing pain in Kurama's right arm; the same arm that had hurt when he had beaten Karasu. Kurama cried out and grasped the afflicted limb, falling to his knees, but the pain only seemed to intensify. Instinctively, Yusuke and the others formed a circle around their fallen friend.

"Isn't this sweet?" a chilling voice said as it approached. Kurama's vision blurred as the pain intensified. But somewhere he heard that voice. Kurama, knowing what he had to do, gritted his teeth and woozily pushed himself to his feet. Yusuke immediately grabbed his other arm to steady him.

"Kurama?"

"I have to do this Yusuke," he said painfully soft.

"Not alone."

"Yes, alone. Or it will never be settled." Determination swam with the pain in Kurama's eyes and Yusuke finally understood. The three Tantei moved to either side, allowing their fourth to walk forward. Yusuke put his arms around Botan's tense shoulders in a protective manner as he watched his friend take control of his fate. Kurama took a few painful steps forward and faced his foe.

"Did you really think it was over?" Karasu asked.

* * *

**Author's Note:** During my trip to Portland I managed to finish writing this story. This was my longest chapter by far (18 pages written, 15 typed) and the last two are a lot shorter, so sorry about that. But I really like how it's turning out, so I hope you guys are too. Leave me a review and tell me how you feel!

_Revised as of 1/6/06_


	9. No Longer Afraid

**Review Responses: **w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / C h i p p e r l u v a 1 0

**Disclaimer:** I think we all know what goes here.

* * *

Chapter 9

No Longer Afraid

* * *

"Did you really think it was over?" Karasu asked. "Did you think I would be defeated so easily?"

"I sort of did," Kurama replied through clenched teeth.

"Our battle could not end so easily, my kitsune."

"How did you gain form?" Kurama asked instead, not falling for the bait. A smirk appeared on the crow's face.

"We've been over this," he laughed. Emerald eyes narrowed. "I told you that your pain and fear gave me strength. During our last encounter there was more than enough of both to give me form."

"I killed you."

"In a manner, yes. But when that plant hit me, I returned the favor. I've marked you." Kurama immediately looked down at his right arm and gasped. His upper bicep was bleeding. And amongst the red an image that looked suspiciously like a crow appeared, as if branded to the skin. Its eyes shone red from the blood. "As you can see, no mere dream death could get rid of me."

"What are you?" Kurama demanded. He had been sensing it for awhile now but had never been able to figure out what it meant. There did not seem to be any life energy in the body. Only… emotion. Lust, anger, hatred, fear, and aggression. Karasu's smirk grew.

"The ever-perceptive fox. You're right; I am not alive. Not in the technical sense anyway. My soul resides in Spirit World now, as, undoubtedly, the ferry girl has seen firsthand. But that doesn't mean I lack power of my own. Power comes from emotion, and that is what I am. I am all of Karasu's dark emotion left over from the Dark Tournament. When you killed him, his emotion was so strong that it would not allow him to move on. So, he shed me. Since that day, my single goal has been you, Kurama." The fox blinked as things began to click into place: the energy source that had been seen around Hanging Neck Island, the dark presence in his room, the rogue demons that had been attacking, and the injury-inducing nightmares.

"Because I was born of dark emotion towards you, your own dark emotions give me strength. As you began to lose sleep, I gained strength and was able to enter your dreams," he continued.

"And cause injury," Kurama said. Karasu nodded.

"Finally, I had enough power to cause such injury that you wouldn't wake, no matter how much you fought me. In that dream, I gained enough power to leave your mind and take form."

"And now you've come to finish what was started all those months ago," Kurama said, narrow eyes still on the figure in front of him.

"You might say that. Back then, my goal was to kill you. While that would please me and give me great power, it would not be enough."

"Enough for what?"

"Enough to have my soul return to this body. To do that, I will break you. And place you at my side forever. The constant despair will be more than enough to become whole once more." Karasu laughed and Kurama shivered.

"One problem," Yusuke growled from behind. "We won't let you."

"Ah, the loyalty of friends. How touching," Karasu sneered. Kurama turned to his friends.

"No, Yusuke." The Spirit Detective blinked.

"But Kurama, you're still recovering!"

"I know, but this is something I have to do myself. If I don't settle this myself, it will never truly end," the fox said softly, though his voice was filled with cold determination. Hiei, noticing this, put a hand on Yusuke's shoulder."

"Let him do this," he said.

"Like a man," Kuwabara added. Watching the fox for a moment, Yusuke finally relented.

"Alright." Kurama nodded and turned back to Karasu.

"Let's end this," he said.

"It's just beginning for you, my kitsune," the crow replied.

"Good luck," Botan whispered. Yusuke squeezed her shoulder comfortingly.

"He'll be alright. You'll see."

* * *

Kurama watched his opponent impassively, though his mind was racing. _I can't let this last too long. I have just enough energy to use my Rose Whip or my Death Plant. Nothing more. Also, my wounds haven't healed. They're only closed at this point._ He looked down at the brand on his arm. _And this will only slow me down. If it's touched, I think I'll lose consciousness. Nothing drawn out. No running this time._

Watching Karasu, Kurama knew the crow would try to draw this out. It was how he had nearly broken the fox in the dream and he was bound to try it again. Kurama reached for his hair and pulled out a rose. Instantly, he held his Rose Whip. Karasu tsked.

"Same old tricks, Kurama."

"They've kept me alive up until this point," he retorted.

"Touché. But that streak is about to end."

_I must control my fear. He will only get stronger if I don't. And I don't need an extra-strong Karasu in my weakened condition._ Kurama continued to watch Karasu, waiting to see if he would make a move. Suddenly, the air around the brand on his arm felt heavy. He gasped and jumped back, just as the air exploded. His eyes widened slightly at the smoke that had almost been his arm – and probably his life. He lashed out with his Rose Whip but Karasu dodged easily.

"It seems you have a long way to go before you'll have recovered," Karasu taunted. Kurama bit back a snarl. There had to be something. There was always something. An idea suddenly hit the fox. _If I have enough energy for my whip, I should have enough for that._

Grasping his whip, Kurama charged Karasu, who readied himself for an attack from the whip. He lashed with the whip, forcing the crow to dodge. However, the instant Karasu moved, Kurama dropped his whip, grabbed a seed and, instants later, held a familiar plant sword in his hand. He followed Karasu and intercepted him. Violet eyes widened in shock at the red-head's sudden appearance. Kurama slashed with the weapon, but Karasu dodged once more. Both demons landed; Karasu's top had a long rip in it, but there was no blood. Kurama's sword returned to seed form.

"That was a clever trick, Kurama. Too bad it didn't work," Karasu sneered. Kurama grimaced. He could feel at least one of his wounds had broken open and the brand still seared painfully. He felt a wave of dizziness and his vision swam before he could straighten himself once more. Karasu stepped on the rose the fox had dropped and Kurama winced. His plants were a part of him, so their destruction could be painful for him as well. _Wait! The plants! We're in a garden!_

Karasu's energy began to climb. Realizing this was his best chance, Kurama forced his body to vanish with speed and he stopped among flowers taller than he was. _I don't have enough energy to pull his off completely, but it's the only chance I have to keep this from being drawn out. I'm already tiring, and if it doesn't work, I'm dead, or worse, anyway. It's not pretty, but I have to try._

Putting a hand to the ground, Kurama gathered all the power he could muster in his weakened state, keeping it underneath the surface of his spirit so Karasu wouldn't be able to sense it; it was a dam waiting to burst. _One shot,_ he reminded himself. _Make it count._ He didn't need the mental warning of _He's coming_ from Hiei to know that the crow was approaching his hiding place.

"Come on out, Kurama," the crow crooned. "Hiding only delays the inevitable." Still crouching low, Kurama waited until he could make out Karasu's shape amongst the plants. He closed his eyes. _Make it count._ He wasn't sure if those were his words or Hiei's, but he knew they were true. Images of his friends flew though his head.

"I'm not hiding," Kurama said fiercely as he let the dam of energy burst. The plants immediately responded to the plant master's touch. They grew at an immeasurable rate, ends sharp as Hiei's katana. They surrounded Karasu, stopping inches from him as Kurama stood.

"Now die," he growled. The crow's violet eyes widened as the plants on every side of him impaled him. He screamed in pain before silencing forever. He dropped to the ground limply. Karasu was dead. Kurama suddenly felt weak.

"It's over," he whispered before also crumpling to the ground.

* * *

The group of four watched as Kurama swayed on his feet. "It's over," they heard him say before collapsing. Four sets of eyes watched the lithe form crumple for a minute in shock before it set in.

"Kurama!" Yusuke yelled as he ran toward his fallen friend, the other two close behind. Hiei, naturally, had beaten them all there. The fire demon knelt by his friend's side, feeling for a pulse.

"He has a pulse, but it's weak," he told the other three as they reached their fallen friend. They all sighed in relief. "He used all the energy he had regained to kill Karasu," Hiei said, looking at the dead demon. With a snarl, the crow's body went up in flames. The fire demon turned back to Kurama's unconscious form.

"He's bleeding," Yusuke said suddenly. Kurama's right arm, where he had been marked, was bleeding, as were several other parts of his body.

"His wounds must have reopened," Botan said. "He hadn't gained back enough energy to heal his wounds, only close them fully."

"Let's get him to Genkai," Kuwabara said, then suddenly brightened, "and Yukina!" Yusuke smacked him on the back of the head.

"Moron. This isn't the time!"

"The fool is right, though. He needs medical attention, though his body is on guard right now. Genkai could at least try to close the wounds once more," Hiei replied, sounding distasteful of agreeing with the orange-haired boy.

"Then get him to his house," Botan said. The three Tantei turned to her. "Genkai was coming to check on him later, anyway."

"Then let's go!" Yusuke said, carefully picking up the limp form of his friend. The group left the garden, paying no mind to the flames that were burning down.

* * *

"What the hell happened?" Genkai demanded of the four, who were sitting in Kurama's bedroom. The fox in question was lying unconscious on his bed.

"Karasu came back. In the flesh," Yusuke replied. Genkai's eyes widened.

"And you let him fight?" she demanded. "Knowing the condition he's in?"

"More like he wouldn't let us interfere," Yusuke replied heatedly. "He wanted to end it for good and said if we helped, it couldn't be settled." Genkai sighed, looking at the drained demon.

"Damn proud fox," she said, though there was no heat in her words. She turned back to the others. "Karasu is dead then?"

"Yeah," Yusuke said, relating the tale. When he was finished, Genkai looked once more at the fox.

"Always keeping things interesting, I suppose."

* * *

First there was pain, then there were voices in the darkness. His entire being ached, and his arm continued to throb.

"Genkai said he should wake up some time today," a female voice said.

"I hope so. All this worrying is going to kill me," a male voice said. Kurama mentally smiled.

"Not like that hasn't happened before, Yusuke," he said softly, opening his eyes slowly. He realized he was in his bedroom as he saw Yusuke staring at him incredulously, while Kuwabara was laughing.

"Kurama! You're barely awake and you're turning on me!" he said, voiced exuding betrayal, though he was trying vainly to fight a grin.

"We're just glad you're alright," Botan said from his side. Kurama gave her a smile, which she returned.

"How long have I been out?" he asked, feeling a sense of déjà vu.

"A couple of days," Yusuke replied. "You totally maxed out your energy in that fight."

"Not that I had all that much to start with," Kurama snorted.

"We were worried you had dug into your life energy with that last attack," Kuwabara said.

"I did," Kurama said after a moment. "But I guess I had enough left."

"Yeah, we 'guess so' too," Botan said sarcastically, though she was trying hard not to laugh.

"Ha ha, real funny you guys," the red-head said with a smile.

"You shouldn't pick on injured people, Urameshi," Kuwabara scolded. Yusuke looked affronted.

"It wasn't me! It was Botan," he said defensively. Kuwabara looked over at the ferry girl. She merely smiled in return.

"It's alright, Kuwabara," Kurama cut in, still smiling. "I'm fine. Just a little low on power."

"A _little_ low on power?" Kuwabara snorted.

"That's an understatement," Yusuke added.

"Well, it's not like I haven't experienced this before," Kurama said. "I just need a few days to recover."

"And then you have to finish healing yourself," Botan added. Kurama scowled slightly.

"As long as I've had the wounds now, they will have to heal on their own. They're past the point that I can heal them," he said.

"So that means," Yusuke began.

"That they'll leave scars," Kurama finished. _Not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well,_ he sighed to himself. "But they'll fade in time." _They all will._ Looking around, all the faces in the room were somber.

"What about my mother?" he asked, changing the subject.

"She's asleep, actually," Botan replied. "She's been so worried about you. I finally convinced her to get some sleep."

"What does she think happened?"

"Genkai managed to convince her you were still weak from your stay in the hospital and had fallen asleep when you got home," Yusuke replied. Kurama sighed.

"Sometimes she's a little too trusting," he said.

"She knows you're special," Botan said softly. "But she doesn't want to worry more than she already does. She believes in you and loves you." Kurama smiled.

"Thank you," he said softly. She returned the smile.

* * *

Kurama lay in bed, staring at the dark ceiling as the pale moonlight drifted in through the window. He was tired but didn't feel like sleeping.

_Don't tell me you're avoiding sleeping again._ Kurama smiled in spite of himself.

_I'm not. I… I'm just not ready to sleep tonight._

_Hn._ Kurama pushed himself to a sitting position in bed to see Hiei's silhouette in the window.

"It's over," Kurama whispered.

"Yes," Hiei replied.

"The body?"

"Burned."

"I suppose the plants are dead now."

"Hn."

"When I have my energy back, I'll do something for them. Plant some new ones if I must. It's the least I can do."

"Do you think anything will be able to grow there again? After that?"

"I think so," Kurama replied thoughtfully.

"Oh?"

"If I can recover, so can they," he said softly.

"But it will take time," Hiei said, watching his friend.

"It will take time," Kurama agreed. "But I'll move on. There's nothing else to do."

"I see." The two sat in companionable silence for awhile, neither feeling anything else needed to be said. Their friendship seemed to have grown stronger during this ordeal, and for that both parties were grateful, though neither had to say it

"Yusuke asked me something while you were comatose," Hiei said after awhile. Kurama looked over at his friend.

"And what was that?"

_He asked if I loved you,_ Hiei replied. Kurama blinked.

"And what did you tell him?"

"I said yes," he replied after a moment. "As a partner. As a teammate. As a friend. As a brother." Kurama was speechless at this. Hiei rarely opened up, even to him. But, he supposed, the near-death experiences changed things slightly.

"Thank you, Hiei."

"Hn."

"You know I feel the same."

"Hn." Kurama smiled. Yes, Hiei knew.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** With the next chapter being the final (epilogue), I didn't want to end it all with author's notes, so here they are:

1) Thank you to all of you for reading, and those of you who reviewed. It's made writing this story even more fun. I'll still post review responses for the final chapter, so look for those.

2) There will be a sequel to this story called _Forever Fornever Tantei_, so make sure to check that out. I think it'll turn out better than this one.

_Revised as of 1/7/06_


	10. Epilogue: Fireflies

**Review Responses:** w w w . d e a d j o u r n a l . c o m / u s e r s / C h i p p e r l u v a 1 0

**Disclaimer:** For the last time, no.

* * *

Epilogue

Fireflies

* * *

"So he was a manifestation of Karasu's darkest emotions after the Tournament?" Koenma asked, sitting – in teenage form of course – in Genkai's temple with the others. Kurama nodded. Koenma sighed. "I feel foolish for not putting together your dreams and the rogue energy reading we were getting."

"But Karasu?" Genkai asked. "Would you really have made that connection?"

"No, I suppose not," Koenma relented. A cough was heard from Hiei's direction and the Prince sighed. "Though Hiei had been trying to tell me there was a connection the whole time." The fire demon nodded, though still looking out the window.

"But everything turned out in the end," Yusuke said.

"Kurama's fine and Karasu won't be causing any more trouble," Kuwabara added. However, the others turned to Kurama. Though a month had passed since Karasu had been killed – again – Kurama's eyes were still more haunted and far away than they had been before. The wounds weren't the only things that had left scars.

_Are you really 'fine'?_ Hiei asked.

_In time,_ Kurama replied. _It's getting better. Easier._ Botan squeezed his hand reassuringly and he returned the gesture.

"With time," he told everyone. They all nodded their understanding. Some wounds took more time to heal.

* * *

Kurama walked hand-in-hand with Botan as they strolled along the grounds together. They made their way slowly along the paths and through a garden the psychic had once tended to. Now it was overgrown with weeds. Kurama smiled slightly. Botan let go of his hand, immediately knowing what he would do.

Kurama made his way to the middle of the garden and knelt. He placed a hand to the ground and closed his eyes. Botan watched with a smile as the weeds began to shrink and the flowers began to blossom in bright colors. A few minutes of work caused the garden to completely transform. It felt good to the fox to do something like this after so long of being weakened. His energy had finally returned; it felt to Kurama as if he were finally whole again. And with Botan around, Kurama had realized he had filled another part of his heart that he hadn't known was empty. It was a wonderful feeling.

Botan walked up to him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him lightly on the cheek. He smiled and, with a little urging, brought a rose forward and presented it to Botan. She immediately took it, knowing there would be no thorns. That's just how Kurama was.

"It's beautiful," she told him. He turned to face her.

"Like you," he replied. She smiled. Slipping her hand back into his, Botan held her flower in her free hand. The two continued their walk, mostly in companionable silence. There was not much to be said that hadn't been said, and they were both fine with that.

* * *

The two arrived back at the temple, still hand-in-hand around sunset. If they couldn't tell their friends about their relationship, who could they tell? The others merely smiled at the sight of the couple that had been brought together during a crisis. Yusuke smiled slyly at Kurama when he saw the rose. The fox returned the grin causing them both to laugh. They were happy, and after all they had gone through they deserved it.

A meal was eaten on the grounds under the fading sunlight. The first stars of the night began to appear over the happy group. The moon began to rise as they continued to talk. With the additions of Keiko, Shizuru, and Yukina, the whole group, including Hiei, was there that night. And that night they all witnessed it.

Botan was watching the fireflies with delight. It was the first time in what seemed like ages that she could enjoy such simple pleasures. She watched as Keiko and Yukina tried catching the luminous insects. She turned to Kurama.

"Would you show me how?" she asked. He smiled at her carefree innocence.

"Of course." Botan proved to be a quick study, laughing when she caught one and it lit up in her hands. Kurama was overjoyed to see the ferry girl so happy. She was especially beautiful when she laughed, he thought, which suddenly gave him an idea. A mischievous grin graced his handsome features. Yusuke laughed.

"I know that look," he said as Kurama stood up.

"A fox at play," Hiei droned. Kurama flashed his friend a grin and walked over to Botan. She grinned when she saw him approach.

"Watch it light up!" she said happily. The light flashed a moment later and Botan laughed again. "Why do they light up?" she asked suddenly. Kurama grinned.

"Perhaps they don't like being caught," he said.

"What?" she asked, her features confused. Kurama stifled the urge to laugh at her innocence.

"Well, how would you like to be caught?" he asked mischievously. Botan, catching the meaning, squeaked and turned to run. Kurama gave her a small head start before chasing. It was a matter of moments before the fox caught her. He grabbed her around the middle and tickled her to the ground so he was on top of her.

"That's not fair!" she laughed.

"And neither is how wonderful you are," he replied. He leaned down and kissed her squarely on the lips. After a moment, he broke away and rolled over next to her on his back.

"_That_ wasn't fair," she said breathlessly. Kurama laughed. In response, Botan rolled so she was on top of the fox. She poked him in the stomach and he playfully grunted as if in pain. She laughed and kissed him on the lips.

The fireflies all seemed to light up.

* * *

_The End_

_Revised as of 1/8/06_


End file.
